exploration mingle: WHAT LIES BENEATH

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: exploration mingle: a dungeon crawl
when: May 15 - June 15
where: The River and what lies beneath.
warnings: likely violence; please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

what lies beneath

One of the major and most highly-valued cultural concepts in Riverview is that of exploration, expansion. Especially now that, with the recent influx of new arrivals, as the portal kicks into high gear for reasons not entirely known, the Inhabited City, already comfortably full, is rapidly becoming overpopulated. With all the refugees from other worlds pouring in from day to day, the city's safe space and resources are being taxed to their breaking point.

Right now, exploration and expansion is key, and each month, the government has decided to focus on a particular objective, in order to unite citizens in expanding, securing, and supplying the city for everyone's benefit.

the story so far

Exploration & Expansion Progress Report ● Flooding in Riverview ● The Guardians of the Deep ● SUBMIT YOUR THREAD

After a successful completion of last month's goal - an initiative to clear out and clean up the amusement park, the Government has turned its attention to slightly more practical matters.

For the past couple of months, there's been some serious flooding in Riverview Quarantine that's resulted in the evacuation of many riverfront properties, leaving many residents in emergency relief shelters. In April, the reason for the flooding was discovered, as the Guardians of the Deep emerged from the swollen river and communicated with mages from Garmarye Magic Research. As April wore down and May began, the Guardians have been gently guided out to sea in the first yearly migration they've had in the many generations before awakening from hibernation.

That's all well and good, but one wonders...if they were called Guardians...what were they guarding?

how it works

● Phases: Each prompt is a different phase of the operation. Characters may partake in whichever part of the operation they choose, whether it is a large and prominent part, or a more of a backseat or support role. Characters may participate in as many phases as they wish.

● Completion: When next month's exploration mingle goes up, the mission featured on this exploration mingle will be considered complete, and game canon, providing the entry has 200+ comments on it.

● Submissions: If your character and/or your character's team has threaded something out to completion, or if you have added and solved a complication to the mission via player plot either on this log or elsewhere in the game, please use the "submit your solution" link above to submit that information so it can be added to the Progress Report.

● Thread Rewards: This month, I have created five different items as rewards with three power levels for each item. Any character participating in a completed thread with at least one other character, for any phase prompt by July 15 will be able to pick a keyword corresponding to one of these rewards when they submit the thread at the link above, threads in each phase corresponding to a power level. Every character participating in a completed thread will be eligible to receive an item. Completed threads must take place on this entry. Details of what the reward items look like can be found at the submission link for use in threads.

● Entry Reward: The reward for completion of this month's exploration objective will be a piece of worldbuilding/lore about the Portal and the first people on the moon.

phase i: the labyrinth

Teams of mages and divers have managed to find what the Guardians of the Deep were guarding. It turns out that underneath the river, there is a labyrinthine maze of tunnels and caverns that appear to be created rather than natural. Divers have managed to bring up a few pieces of rubble that have been dated back approximately 1.8 million years, which is around when historians of the Quarantine theorize that the first sentient people came through the portal and ended up trapped on the moon. Not much is known about these First People, but it is theorized that whatever structure is under the river was created by them, originally beside the river and lost to time, buried by a change in the river's course.

And obviously, everyone wants to explore it!

With a bit of construction and magic, a barrier has been created in the river that splits the flow and allows access to the entrance to the waterlogged underground structure, and initial drone exploration has given explorers a very rudimentary idea of how it might look inside. Circular and at least as wide as the river (perhaps wider), there is a series of labyrinthine tunnels that surround two layers of inner chambers, one in the shape of a ring and one circular.

Phase one of this month's mission is to make it through the labyrinths, mark a path through for anyone following, and clear that path of any remaining monsters or barriers. Characters who complete this objective and hang back to guard the exit route for those going further in will be considered as having completed Phase I for a Level 1 reward.

phase ii: the inner ring

Once the way has been cleared, a smaller group of explorers can move inside the ring-shaped chamber inside the labyrinth. The area looks like it is divided into rooms, living quarters that contain the remnants of lives left behind. A picture of the type of people who lived here emerges through the artifacts that explorers may find - clothing and stone relief carvings not worn away by the river water show what looks like a peaceful reptilian people, druidic and in tune with nature; bipedal with long, serpentine necks, they seem to have achieved peace on their new home before something happened to wipe them out.

Phase two of this month's mission is to make it through the inner ring to access the central chamber, and it's not all safe and peaceful. These were, after all, the homes of the First People, and even in a time almost 2 million years ago, people locked their homes before leaving them - and in this case, they seem to have known they were leaving for a long time and seriously wanted everyone to stay out. Expect every door in this ring-shaped chamber to be laced with traps both magical and mechanical, ranging from rock falls, pits with spikes, poisons, magical thorny vines, and potions or spells that induce hallucinations and elaborate illusions. Pretty much anything you might think of can be found there, as long as it is somehow related to nature, plant life, earth or water or wood or stone. Characters who make their way through the inner ring and stop to guard the entrance, or characters who are felled by a booby trap in the inner ring and have to turn back will be considered as having completed Phase II for a Level 2 reward.

phase iii: the central chamber

Once the inner ring has been mapped out and the traps safely sprung, the way is cleared to the central chamber, the deepest and most protected level of the structure under the river. It seems obvious to anyone who looks at the layout of this place that the whole thing was built to protect the center of the structure and lead people toward it at the same time - to what purpose? There must be something valuable here.

Phase three of this month's mission is to get through the door to the inner chamber and find what treasure might lie inside. The catch? Not only is the door guarded by complicated puzzles that shift and change for each new group that attempts to get inside, ranging from a riddle to glyph reading to games of shape and pattern, but once the door opens, intrepid travelers face another Guardian.

Much like the puzzles, the Guardian inside the central chamber changes form for each team facing it, and quickly adapts to counteract that team's greatest strengths. Whether the team is comprised of regular people or gods, the Guardian will be strong enough to give them an excellent fight. Summoned through magic, the Guardian will take on a different form each time, but has the intelligence level of a dolphin and the ability to understand some speech. Whether the Guardian is fought or tamed is up to each party's discretion, but it must be conquered in order to reach the center of the chamber, where a tantalizing, glowing blue orb sits on a heavily-decorated pillar at the center of the room, along with enough reward items for every member of the party.

Anyone who tries to take the orb, however, will find themselves knocked unconscious for a period of 10 minutes with no ill side-effects. Unfortunately, the orb itself will need to be extracted and studied by a team of senior mages from Gamarye Magic Research - but they couldn't have got there without the help of this month's explorers!

Characters who solve a puzzle at the door to the inner chamber and either tame or conquer the beast in battle, or who are felled while trying will be considered as having completed Phase III for a Level 3 reward.

phase iv: wildcard

Have an idea for a mission-adjacent plot, or want to make up an unexpected plot twist or problem and solve it with your character? Just write up a starter, and don't forget to give yourself props by submitting it for the Progress Report. Your mod will respond to any wildcard submissions with the power level of the reward the character can claim for the original content.

navigation
[Ancient Civilizations: Lost & Found by Alex Feliksovich; bonus inspiration artwork: The Secret Cave by Maxime Delcambre]

Comments

[buildsomething]

[Tony twists to give Sam a look as he clanks past -- yep, not making too much noise is definitely something he's good at. But he lets out a breath and sets himself as he eases the door open and steps through.

It takes him a moment to register the pinprick impacts, almost too small for the HUD to even pick up considering they don't even hit hard enough to leave a dent. Then again, they may not have to. So good thing he went first, then. Good start, team.]

Looks like a dart trap. I think I triggered it, but keep your eyes open.

[neversurrender]

[Steve is following at Tony's heels through the door, shield up in a ready position over his chest. Hopefully if there are any lingering darts, they'll bounce harmlessly off the shield.

Finally getting a good look at the room they've stepped into, he can't help but wonder what could have lived here that would go to such lengths to keep its belongings protecting. He would almost admire it if the traps weren't trying to harm them.

Looking down, he spots something on the ground and bends to pick it up. A carving. It depicts two reptilian looking creatures holding hands. Claws? A couple probably.]

I guess now we know who lived here.

[He holds up the carving for the other two to see.]

[wingedman]

[Behind the bulk of the other two, Sam makes a gesture, whispers a word under his breath, and a soap-bubble shield surrounds him briefly, invisible to the naked eye.]

Trust you to find the art.

[Sam reaches out, trailing his fingertips over the carving for a moment, before he lets the shield spell dissipate. It's hard to sustain spells for any length of time right now, when he's using most of his physical strength to compensate for any lingering weakness from his illness.]

You scanning the place for more traps, Tony?

[Of course he is. And with all these damn locked doors, Redwing won't be of any use to scout ahead. Sam is kind of superfluous here, but he's used to it.]

[buildsomething]

Yeah. Hard to tell exactly what I'm looking at, though.

[Some mechanisms are obvious, others no so much. It's clever work and Tony would like to get a better view of a lot of it, but they do actually have a goal here. He'll have to settle for recording as much as he can and playing it back later.

He moves gingerly across the floor, trying to compensate for the armor's added weight when he has no idea what he might be stepping on next. Tony's pretty sure he can handle it, but he'd just as soon not have to find out.]

So door number one, two or three?

[neversurrender]

[After giving it one final glance, he puts the carving back down where he'd found it. It feels more respectful that way, to leave it. But it also gave him some serious misgivings about what else they'll find, the deeper inside they go.

But this is still their mission, and if nothing else, they might be able to find the cause of all this ruin. Something had happened here to force these creatures from their homes.]

Door number two?

[Generally this would be the point where splitting up would make the most sense. There's a door for each of them to investigate. But at the same time, the risk levels are very high, making splitting up a less and less attractive alternative.]

[wingedman]

Sounds good to me.

[The door is easy to open, which is a bad sign. The second sign is how totally innocuous the room looks. Since he doesn't have a suit that can detect traps, Sam goes the old-fashioned route and picks up a few chunks of rubble to throw into the room.

Rock test? Totally passed. So Sam walks into the room like the professional adventurer he is.]

Maybe the traps in this room don't work anymore.

[Or maybe they're just waiting for everyone to walk in because the trigger needs the weight of more than one person. Once Steve and Tony are in, the door shuts behind them, and there's an ominous rock-on-rock grinding noise as the walls shudder and start moving.]

Well, shit.

[buildsomething]

[The moment the walls start moving, Tony immediately brings a hand up and fires at one of them. When that doesn't do much more than leave a nice scorch mark on the stone, he slowly lets the arm drop again.]

Great. Which one of us is the screaming blonde?

[Well there's only one blonde here, but that's besides the point. And as comfortable as sarcasm is, it isn't actually helping much. A second's hesitation, and then Tony moves to the center of the room, to try to get the best view of everything that he can, searching out the mechanisms for any way to disable this thing. There can't just be no off switch.

Right?]

[neversurrender]

[Steve manages to toss Tony a narrowed look even as he's preoccupied watching the progress of the walls as they move in closer and closer.]

If we can find the next door, we need to go through it.

[Which might just lead them into another kind of trouble. But if their options are being squished flat or an unknown danger, he'd take the later.

Meanwhile, this room isn't very big, and the walls are already closing in too tight for comfort.]

Unless someone has another plan, get moving. I might be able to hold the walls to buy us some time.

[Yes. You heard that right. He once stopped a helicopter from taking off with his bare hands. This is nothing.]

[wingedman]

You gonna stay here and get smashed into paste?

[Sam's already moving - can't use the wings as the walls move closer, so he's just stuck with his own two feet.]

Stark, any sign of a door-opening mechanism?

[Because if there's a trap, he doesn't think the door is just going to pop right open for them.]

[buildsomething]

[Tony might be busy swearing creatively, but he's also scanning everything he can find. He flicks Steve one quick look before he moves to get a better look at the stationary parts of the room. If Steve says he can hold it, Tony's going to trust him.

Or maybe they're all about to get really uncomfortable. But Tony's trying to stay on the bright side.

He ends up back by the door they came in through, something about the structure of it bothering him. It's only when he realizes that the frame seems too low that he nearly jolts in place.]

Sam, here. Under the top of this, I can't reach it.

[neversurrender]

[Meanwhile Steve starts with the wall closest to him, pressing his weight back against it. It doesn't stop the wall from moving completely, and he didn't think it would, but it does slow its progression for a bit, buying the other two some time.

It's only a matter of time before the two walls will get close enough for Steve to be able to reach out and touch the both of them.]

Any time now, guys!

[wingedman]

[The problem with having wings is that you have a wingspan, and right now, Sam doesn't have room for them. It takes a little negotiating - like standing sideways and then curling one in so he can get to the door - but Sam makes it up there, his fingers slipping through the carved holes to press the buttons down. The walls come to a grinding halt, and Sam breathes a little easier.]

What's next, a rolling boulder chasing us down a hallway?

[buildsomething]

And me without my bullwhip.

[Almost absently, Tony moves to the other wall and shoves at it slightly. It doesn't retract particularly easily, but it doesn't move forward at all either. Probably a win.]

We should see if we can get the other door open. Steve, you okay?

[Yeah, supersoldier, whatever. He still has to ask.]

[neversurrender]

[As soon as the walls halt their progression Steve pushes himself off the wall he had been holding back and leans forward with his hands braced on his knees. The exertion of keeping the wall back had been enough to leave even him a little winded.

But he nods in response to Tony's question.]

Fine. And ready to be out of this room.

[With that said he's approaching the other door and landing a hard and solid kick on the door, creating a sizable dent, but not quite enough to get it open.]

Tony?

[Surely something in that fancy suit can take care of this problem? Otherwise Steve's plan is to keep hitting it until it buckles.]

[wingedman]

Didn't know you were into whips, Stark.

[Sam glances back over his shoulder and waggles his eyebrows at Tony while Steve's kicking the door.]

Think the hat might suit you, though.

[He's just chillin' while Steve and Tony open the door. Not much he can do to help on this one.]

[buildsomething]

[He'd give Sam a look, but no one can see it anyway. Sam will just have to imagine it.

His attention shifts pretty quickly to the door anyway, scanning to find the precise right spot to do the most damage. Luckily those kinds of calculations don't take too much effort.]

You guys keep an eye out?

[Since they've got a bit more distance. Just in case.

And then Tony steps up and uses every bit of the armor's enhanced strength to drive his fist into the dent Steve had left, knocking the door right off it's hinges to fall into the next room.]

[neversurrender]

[And in this case 'fall into the next room' means the door falls down into a large, dark pit that encompasses most of the ground. Steve approaches the opened doorway, standing right on the edge, and looks down. It's too dark for him to see how deep the pit goes, but he can make out subtle movement at the bottom. Water, probably.]

Anyone up for a swim?

[He looks over his shoulder at his two teammates, the irony not lost on him that while they both can easily fly across, his options are a lot more limited. But there are still options. Without a word, he backs up several paces from the doorway and they flings himself forward into a dead run. Right before reaching the edge he pushes off the ground as hard as he can and lunges forward. He feels weightless for a few seconds before gravity again kicks in.

But the other end is in sight and he reaches out, extending his arms as far as he can. His first hand misses the edge by inches, but he manages to grab on with his second. For a few moments he just dangles there, all his weight on one hand.

And then he begins to hear something moving around below.]

[wingedman]

[When Steve starts backing up, Sam has a moment of 'is he really going to do this?' Which is dumb, because he's Steve Rogers, of course he's going to fucking do the thing. Never mind that having either one of them fly him across would be a perfectly viable alternative.

He falls short of the mark, and Sam looks at Tony.]

You know, I'm kinda tempted to just leave him there.

[Except as he steps closer to the pit, there's a wet slithering sound.]

You got a light?

[buildsomething]

[Tony gives an amused snort as he steps up next to Sam to peer down. He's less worried about Steve -- he does ridiculous things all the time, he can probably get himself out of that little problem without issue. Whatever is moving around down there, that's a bigger question.

He doesn't exactly have a flashlight on him, and just firing his repulsors down seems like the wrong option. He does, however, have a number of very handy sensors. The heat signatures are odd, apparently reptilian, and Tony finds himself frowning as he tries to make out the shapes below.]

Looks like...snakes? Something like that. Big ones.

[A quick glance flicks over at the dangling figure across from them.]

You maybe want to think about looking before you leap next time, Cap?

[neversurrender]

[He curses silently to himself as he slowly reaches up his free hand to also take hold of the edge. Hanging there for a moment, he gauges whether the lip of the wall will hold his weight, and once he's sure it will, he presses his feet flat against the wall, giving himself some leverage to work his way up.

Below, he can hear whatever it in the water making more and more noise. Either it's something very large, or there's a lot of somethings down there. Or both. He's not sure which option he finds most appealing.]

Not the time, Tony.

[His response is spoken between gritted teeth as he inches himself up a little further. And that's when a giant splash is made in the water as a large reptilian looking creature springs out of the water, it's head vaguely alligator shaped with rows of sharp teeth, and a snakelike body uncoiling behind it.]

[wingedman]

One of us should probably rescue him, huh?

[Sam sure is sounding casual right now. He's about to suggest rock paper scissors, but then the thing splashes out of the water. It only takes a moment for him to spring into action, drawing his guns to fire at the gator-snake (snake-gator) as it leaps at Steve. The guns clatter to the floor when he lands and crouches to pull Steve up.]

Hope you're recording this for posterity, Stark!

[It's yelled across the chasm as he strains under Steve's weight, but Sam drags him up soon enough.]

[buildsomething]

[Tony goes airborne a second behind Sam, attention trained down on that...whatever it is while Sam rescues Steve. The shots don't seem to slow the thing down much, and neither does a quick repulsor burst, though between the two of them they do knock it back far enough to get Steve out of the way.]

Christ, that thing's got teeth.

[He keeps himself hovering a bit in front of the other two, just in case the snake decides to make another run at them. Tony would really rather not see whether or not it can get up enough momentum to scale the whole way out.]

Okay, vote time. Leave that thing there or take care of it?

[neversurrender]

[Steve manages to keep his body out of the reach of the snake creature by curling up as much as he can. Which, isn't exactly the most comfortable position to keep while hanging off the side of a wall. Given a little more time he likely would have been able to scale up himself, but with the snake causing a distraction, Sam's assistance comes as a relief.

Once he's mostly made it over the side, he rolls himself the rest of the way to safety, putting some distance between himself and what lies below.]

If we can finish getting through here quickly, we might be able to outrun it before it makes its way all the way up here.

[But it's not like he has any fancy aerial abilities, and the only projectiles he has to throw at it is the now somewhat mildly dented metal shield from the Guard. It would have to make it up the wall for Steve and the snake creature to be on level footing. But he'd prefer that as an extreme measure.]

[wingedman]

Might not be able to get up here.

[This is largely wishful thinking, especially because the thing totally knows there's food up here. But Sam's already looking at the door ahead of them and inspecting it and-

oh. Well, that was easy. Almost too easy.]

After you guys.

[Sam gestures for them to enter the heart of the ruins.]

[buildsomething]

[He gives the opened door an askance look, but reaches down to offer Steve a hand up first. And if he then uses that to pull the man back a little to make sure Tony's the first one through the door, well. He's still the only one wearing armor here.

He's cautious as he eases through, hands already palm out and defensive, even warier now that he's seen some of what's in this place. And is immediately confronted with...another wall. With a sigh, he lets his hands drop again.

The corridor is narrow, curving off to either side. If Tony was to hazard a guess, he'd say it rings the central chamber. And then what?]

So. Anyone want to go around the other way and see if we meet up?