riverviewlogs | exploration mingle: WHAT LIES BENEATH

Entry tags:

exploration mingle: WHAT LIES BENEATH

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]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It didn't surprise him at all to find that Victor was curious about the labyrinth, just as Jim's own eager curiosity likely wasn't news to Victor. He was a little reluctant about Victor being out and about after the sickness, but between leaving the doctor to his own devices or joining him... well, at least while they're together he can keep an eye on him, just in case.

While Victor focuses mainly in jotting down notes and drawing the path of the labyrinth, Jim's made sure to carry a few weapons with him. Out here, one never knows what they might find. Stretches of the labyrinth seem to be quieter and with a better view though, and he leans over Victor's shoulder to see the map he's drawing. ]

How's it looking so far?

[Victor has heard so much about the various explorations, and this is the first time he can justify going himself. He's honestly been wanting to get out on the field for a while, and his conversation with Jyn during James's party made the idea even more prominent. He does need to see what people face in order to heal them properly, and the fact that he gets to search around a labyrinth is a pretty big plus]

It's incredibly elaborate. The First People certainly didn't want to make it easy for anyone to get to the center and find whatever gave the Guardians their title. I don't think it's a minotaur, though, for what it's worth.

[Victor don't make jokes about that]

[ Jim studies the map attentively. Victor's very thorough with the details, the proportions; it's impressive. Not that it's much of a surprise to him, as he has seen a lot of the drawings that Victor has made since coming to the Quarantine. He knows exactly how talented the doctor is.

He chuckles, tipping his head at Victor. ]

Would that make me Theseus, if it were?

[ A minotaur would be a pretty cool find. Well, he might think differently if he has to actually fight one. ]

Hm. No. Because that would make me Ariadne, and their story didn't end happily. Stick with being my brave starship captain.

[He leans in for a brief kiss on the cheek] And go slowly. I don't know if they got all the traps and monsters.

[ He smiles at the kiss, resting a hand briefly on the small of Victor's back before pulling away again. ]

Captain Charming reporting for duty. [ He winks and shoots Victor a mock salute, staring down the path ahead of them. ]

I should hope so. I'll be seriously disappointed if this just ends up being a walk through the park. Or labyrinth.

[He smiles and returns the salute. Then gestures for James to go first. He's the one with the weapon, after all]

Of course you would. But keep in mind I'm not carrying a weapon, so try not to get in too much trouble, all right?

[ He nods and takes a couple wider strides so he can take the lead, keeping an eye out on the path, and any unexpected movements around them. His feet are careful too, just in case he trips up on a wire and activates yet another trap. ]

I promise to do my best. [ But look, it's technically not his fault if some creature leaps at him. ]

[Victor is just as likely to be attacked by something, which is why he's trying to shine his light in every possible nook and cranny along the way. He's hoping that the light will stun whatever sort of creatures lurk around here. At least long enough for James to shoot them or for them to go another way.

And he keeps an eye out for anything that look like it might trigger a trap. In his cursed days, he was guilty of watching a few movies with booby traps so he thinks he has an idea of what to look out for, and will promptly pull James back if something in their path looks wrong]

[ Jim's watched his fair share of Indiana Jones movies. He knows what obvious traps look like. He also knows that in real life not all physical traps are so easy to spot. There aren't stone blocks standing out in their path waiting to be stepped on; no invisible wires waiting for them to trip over them.

Sometimes he just gets an odd feeling. Like a draft blowing through where it shouldn't. He stops, studying what looks like a perfectly harmless wall. ]

You feel that?

[ He moves to the wall, mapping it out slowly with his hands. His fingertips trace each line and fissure, trying to find where the gap is wide enough that air is coming through. ]

[It sure would be handy if all the traps were obvious, though. Would make their lives a lot easier. It would also be nice if they stood out in some discernible way, like magic does. Or maybe Victor's just more perceptive to its presence after living with it for so many years.

He pauses when James does, shining his light at the wall. There doesn't seem anything strange about it to him. Nothing that would make it different from the other walls of the labyrinth, anyway]

No, I--

[And James is already touching it. Which again shouldn't be that big of a deal, as Victor did that himself a number of times. But he's starting to get an odd feeling, too]

Should you be that close?

[ Look, he's not gonna figure out what's wrong with it if he stays away. Probably. Or he might, but he'd have to wait and who has the patience for that. ]

Thought you didn't feel anything.

[ He raises an eyebrow at Victor, grinning like the cheeky asshole he is sometimes. The smile doesn't last long, though, because as soon as his fingers trace lightly over a vertical groove in the rock, a sharp blade shoots straight out of it, clear across the corridor, hitting the stone on the other end of the pathway with a loud sharp sound. ]

Holy— shit!

[ He's pulling his hand back, but it's a little late now. He hisses as he flexes his fingers, blood spilling from the cuts on his fingertips caused by the blade. ]

[Damn his weakness for that cheeky smile. He relaxes, and that is of course when the blade shoots out. Victor jerks back on instinct, grabbing James by the elbow to try pulling him back too. But it all happened far too quickly.

He's stunned for about a second before his doctor mode kicks on]

Don't move. Keep your hand level and horizontal.

[He rummages through the medical supplies he thought to bring along, coming up with a cotton swab, some disinfectant and bandages. He carefully swabs the cuts with the disinfectant, holding tightly to James's wrist so he doesn't twitch]

I don't think you'll get a scar from this one, but it was a nice try.

[ Jim's actually pretty calm, which probably helps. He's suffered a whole lot worse than this, after all, both on this moon and back in his own universe. So he does as told, holding his hand up towards Victor and waiting as he digs his supplies out of his bag.

He huffs a chuckle at Victor's remark, grinning and shaking his head at him. ]

Damn. Well... better luck next time.

[ Okay now he's just being a jerk. It's not like he throws himself into danger all the time. ]

I do feel pretty lucky. A trap means there's something interesting down this way. We should keep going.

[He finishes off with some bandages. It's more of an added precaution than a necessity, since the cuts don't seem that deep. And then turns to start looking to where the knife fell. He's of course brought along some sample bags for science. He figures the knife will be worth examining.

Once bagged, he goes back to the wall. He gets his palm close but not touching, finding the spot where James triggered the trap, and then marks it with a piece of white chalk. And with that he heads on down the tunnel]

Aw. Here I was thinking you were gonna say you feel lucky because you're here with me.

[ He grins and winks at Victor, checking the bandages briefly as the doctor collects the knife. He readjusts his things, then takes his phaser out of its holster. The further down the path they go, the likelier the chances they'll run into some wild creature. He's not taking any chances. ]

That really goes without saying. Just like it goes without saying that when we're done here, you'll get very lucky tonight.

[He smirks, continuing on. Now he's paying attention to the walls and holding his palm out as they pass by. He's not touching but keeping close enough to feel any air that might be escaping. He stops to mark another spot. There may or may not be a hidden trap, but better safe than sorry]

[ Jim grins at Victor, eyes narrowing just so. ] Hush, now. Not when we're working, honey.

[ Before they distract themselves with flirty talk and innuendo, Jim turns his attention back to the labyrinth. They make it a little deeper for a while, finding one or two traps like the one before, but managing to set them off without getting hurt. At least the next people who come after them will be safe.

They follow down a corridor that gets narrower and narrower, ending up on a dead end. Jim sighs. ] Dead end. Mark it on the map.

[ He turns around to head back the way they came from. What he doesn't know is they were followed by a pair of wild animals, which are now waiting right after the turn to ambush them. ]

Yes, dear.

[He chuckles, getting back to work mapping the area and marking where they find traps. Even if they don't set off again for the next people coming by, it's still worth knowing where they went off.

He dutifully sketches the end, then turns to spool the string back. He doesn't see the animals until they've already pounced on him. One of them is more interested in his pack and drags him down trying to take it off. At first he tries to fight them off but then goes still, thinking it might make for an easier target if the animals are the only ones moving]

[ The creatures are fairly small, only slightly larger than a dog, but certainly stronger than one. Two of them make for an even bigger threat. It doesn't help that Jim's caught entirely by surprise when they leap at them, one of them turning its focus on the doctor.

Sadly, unlike Victor, Jim isn't as quick to figure out it's best to stay still. Seeing Victor stretched out on the floor underneath two wild animals doesn't really help him keep calm. He rushes forward, catching one of Victor's arms and trying to pull him to his feet and away from the creatures. One of them looks up and bares its teeth in a growl, and he instantly lifts his phaser and points it at the animal. ]

[Frankenstein playing dead. Victor doesn't particularly like doing it but between the two of them, James is the more capable fighter. So he stays still despite every part of him wanting to fight. If these things think he's dead, they'll lose interest in him.

But that only means their interest turns to James. He can't allow that. All his medical supplies spilled out in the attack. He slowly reaches for a needle, careful to make as little noise as possible. A quick glance to James and then he attacks, stabbing the creature that's baring its teeth at James. The thing yelps and whimpers in pain, then collapses.

Victor sort of crumbles next to it, staring at the ground so he won't have to watch it die]

[ The other creature seems more reluctant to approach when the first falls. Jim doesn't waste any time, and lifts up his phaser to shoot at it. The creatures out here seem to be more resilient than he's used to, and it takes quite a few shots to successfully stun it. Eventually the animal stumbles and falls on its side, unconscious but still alive.

He's breathing heavily, promptly turning and rushing back towards Victor. ]

Hey— Victor. You alright? Did they hurt you?

[Victor just sort of stares blankly at the creatures. He blinks a few times before focusing on James]

Just... scratched up. It's fine. I... I couldn't let it hurt you.

[Maybe he didn't kill it? If it took so much to stun, maybe what should've killed it just made it pass out instead. He gives the creature a little pat on the head and withdraws the needle, just in case it is just passed out. He takes a breath and starts gathering everything together]

My flashlight's broken.

[ He still gives Victor a once-over, studying him with his hands and making sure he really isn't injured or bleeding anywhere. Once Victor's up and moving, Jim shifts towards the creature instead, feeling carefully for a pulse. ]

They're still alive— for what it's worth.

[ It's a relief to him too. He doesn't like hurting the creatures out here. If he can avoid killing them, then he absolutely will.

Getting to his feet, he digs into his bag, finding a flashlight and handing it over to Victor. ]

It's not as good as yours but it'll do the trick.

Thank god.

[He wipes a hand over his face and into his hair. He gathers himself together and takes the offered flashlight]

I came out here so I could learn what sort of things people face on expeditions, and be a better doctor for it. I wasn't prepared for that.

It's fairly common, running into wild creatures. I've had trouble with a few a lot larger than these two, even.

[ He starts them back through the way they came, helping Victor spool the string again. ]

If you'd rather, we can go back. We don't have to keep going.

I

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