ENTRANCE - CLEARING
The clearing is eerily silent and still. No chanting, no incomprehensible thrum of voices, no cries to a distant god. Only curiously thin trees, broken stones, and thick underbrush scattered with various painted artifacts. As the adventuring party approaches, these artifacts become more numerous and strange; some of them look like cracked drinking jugs, others like long, half-rotted staves, others are blunt knives, wooden figurines in a vaguely humanoid shape, and so forth. Most of them are in states of decay, but many of them are encrusted with tiny precious gems--rubies and diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. All of them are smeared with the symbol that Rin described to the network, and all of them emanate a power that makes even those resistant to magic feel uneasy.
This aura acts more profoundly on the surrounding flora and fauna as everyone draws closer to the ruins entrance. The underbrush comes alive: green tendrils snake out to grab at your ankles, to lash your wrists. Critters become hostile, launching themselves at you with reckless abandon. The squirrels are extremely upset. But it's all small fry, and the aura mostly just makes even those with frail constitutions feel a little queasy. No big deal, right? Press on.
FIRST FLOOR - LIBRARY
A crumbled threshold leads down, down, down into the dark. You'll need some light or someone with night vision to safely descend the first set of steps, which are uneven and falling apart. Try not to stumble to your death--or at least, a broken ankle. At the bottom of the steps, there's a poorly kept dirt floor strewn with unidentifiable debris. Heaps of garbage, mysterious stains, bits of old furniture. A few wall sconces light the area, and walking further in reveals a wrecked library. Books are in wobbly stacks, tossed everywhere, their pages ripped out and covered with gibberish scrawling. INEVITABLE INEVITABLE INEVITABLE is written legibly across many of the otherwise ruined pages.
As you walk forward, you see the exit to another staircase ahead--and a group of about half a dozen people in heavy robes, milling about the remains of the library. Muttering to themselves, scratching their necks, chuckling. Their cowls cover their faces, and they don't notice you until you make a sound--and then, suddenly, all eyes are on you.
The cultists attack, using mostly hand-to-hand combat techniques; they also wield long, slender daggers, the kind that fit easily through someone's ribs. But if they catch you staring, they'll stare right back, eyes suddenly glowing a burning green. These are their Entropy Eyes, a spell that causes a number of randomized, negative effects, ranging from mere disorientation to outright--albeit temporary--madness. Those with strong wills can resist the Entropy Eyes; others will find themselves confused, unaccountably hostile, and terribly unsteady on their feet. Everyone will hear whispers in the back of their heads, whispers that fill their guts with dread. The aura felt at the entrance thickens, intensifying symptoms of nausea and dizziness.
Still time to turn back.
SECOND FLOOR - LABORATORY
The laboratory reeks. It's a mix of sour and sweet, of blood and rust, of soil and decay. Shattered beakers are strewn everywhere, as are cages--some empty, some with a reddish muck oozing from between the bars. Unidentifiable piles are scattered throughout; close inspection suggests limbs, teeth, hair. There's a table against one wall, and someone's painted WE ARE SO PARCHED WE ARE SO PARCHED just above a line of flasks, each filled somewhat with a different colored liquid. These liquids can have a variety of effects on their own or mixed together--explosive, burning, mind-addling, gas-producing, etc. They are generally not benign, though.
The only exit is a door covered in esoteric symbols; in its center is not a knob, but a small face with an open jaw and many rows of teeth. The door is painted, too, with the phrase: WE ARE SO HUNGRY WE ARE SO HUNGRY. The mouth is just big enough for a flask, a human hand, or something else of similar size.
And, besides all that, there are the dolls. These are humanoid patchworks, ranging from 5' to 6', each made from assorted parts. They freewheel towards anyone who enters, whimpering; cackling. Some of them mistake you for a loved one, but their embrace is choking; their nails are red-stained claws. Ignoring them will send them into a wailing frenzy, so it's best just to dispatch them as fast as you can.
Once done, you have to decide how to get past that door. It will open for any of the following:
Feeding it a potion mixed from the table
Feeding it part of a doll
Feeding it your own blood/skin/etc
Choice A causes a soft murmuring to run through the back of your mind, something that makes you feel a vague, discomfiting dread, but it's easily ignored.
Choice B causes the same murmuring, accompanied by a savage satisfaction, a feeling of selfish triumph. If you're weak to such suggestion, your paranoia towards your teammates increases slightly--you feel they are there to take something from you, for whatever reason.
Choice C causes a feeling of supreme contentment ... followed by awful, gut-churning terror. Something has you. Something is with you.
Whatever you choose, the door leads to the final descent. Down, down, down into darkness, into a spacious, chilly cave, and here you find ...
BOTTOM FLOOR - CAVERN OF WORSHIP
... the Ascended. These people--creatures, really--turn in unison when a new presence breaches the sanctum. They are horrifying to behold: cultists who have gone through the final rituals of their doctrine, transformed from their previous selves into avatars of suffering and terror. They have no discernible face nor features; instead, their heads are stuck through all over with needles, and blood drips constantly from the wounds. Their bodies are emaciated, their fingers gnarled and full of claws. And, most relevant to you: they're fast. They pull the needles from their heads and lunge, aiming to pierce vital organs--but they'll take whatever they can get, really. When struck, they screech out an unearthly wail that rattles your bones and chills your steps. The floor writhes beneath you as you engage them; the rock shifts and softens, becoming so many squirming, grasping tentacles. These are an illusion, but a powerful one--they will grab you and toss you, but a solid strike to their bases will send them away.
Once you've dealt with the Ascended, you find yourself in front of an enormous statue. Its shape is undefinable, for the most part: it shifts between many forms as you gaze upon it. For a moment it's something Lovecraftian, some many-mouthed beast come to devour the world. Then it's a raven, ominous and silent. Then, a humanoid figure, indeterminate and beautiful, dressed in flowing robes and reaching out to you like a friend, lips parted in a vicious smile. The only stable part of the statue is its center: an enormous, oval shaped ruby shot through with veins of gold. The ruby pulses as though alive, and a pale mist swirls in its center, agitated and alive.
There are words inscribed on a plinth in front of the statue:
In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.
The aura now is the thickest it's ever been. No matter your victories, you feel sick, even as the glittering jewel draws your eye. At best, you just want to leave. At worst, you want to strangle everyone around you, then leave. And maybe you want a piece of that jewel, too? It's up to you.
 
OOC
If you take any treasure/books/etc from this place, you will find they are both very valuable and very dangerous. The longer they are in a character's possession, the more likely they are to eventually cause profoundly negative side effects (dampening of altruism/compassion/empathy, encouragement of anger/jealousy/paranoia/etc). This is especially so for pieces of the jewel, which cannot be kept for more than a day without doing serious damage to one's emotional state.
That said, in general feel free to decide how deeply the magic/horror of this place will affect any individual character--some people are stronger than others, but even strong people can have a good day (and vice versa). Also, there wasn't really any sign-up for this! Feel free to just make up a reason for the character to be here, whether or not they spoke with Rin. It's NBD.
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riverviewlogs2017-10-28 08:25 pm
shigeru miyata | ota
[ For anyone who is of the curious minded, they can find Shigeru rummaging through the wreckage of books. Perhaps trying to find something the might help them as the further descend into whatever this place might be. He looks a bit pale as he consistently opens book after book only to see the words scrawled into each one. This doesn't look good at all, and he's not sure what exactly they've gotten themselves into now.
He might absentmindedly take one of those books and put it in the satchel at his side, not even considering the consequences of his actions. But the noises coming from another part of the library draw his attention and he might get and go over to see what it was. ]
Library II;
[ If the situation in the clearing wasn't indicative enough to what lay ahead then the libraries turn for worse is no surprise. Shigeru might look the part with the way that giant purple sigil silently floats behind him, giving off a soft purple glow as it does so. Shigeru's own appearance is different as well, with his black sclera and purple irises, one might even take him for a cultist if it weren't for the fact that he were fighting them right now. He'll dodge and parry their attacks easily enough, when his own sword connects with theirs however, the daggers they use begin to disintegrate, like sand almost, as he fights them. The attack though of Entropy Eyes might make him sway backwards, luckily Shigeru's will is one of the strongest he knows, so it doesn't take affect on him as readily as it would anyone else. ]
Cavern;
[ The fight with the ascended is something he all too familiar with. Not of this world but within his own, they remind him of the poor men, woman, and children locked away in that laboratory and forced to turn into inhuman beasts without much capabilities to thought. It breaks his heart to see, but also scares him as well, reminding him of his own limited time and the state of his gate, which has deteriorated some since arriving here. The horrors of the ascended are put to the back of his mind as he helps fight them off. He never expected this sort of thing to be here, within this place, but even here it seemed there were unknown horrors still to be found.
Shigeru will find himself cornered at some point, his sword and shield raised as he tries to parry the attacks but they push him against a wall and he could use the assist. ]
Library I
[ Re-L's had the same idea, so far as rummaging through the library and finding what she can that my be useful or... that she could keep herself. She's already tucked a small tome in to her pocket for safe keeping, herself, but she can't help her curiosity in someone else who's keeping a volume. For certain she didn't miss the fact that he puts one in his satchel - blue eyes flickering from his pocket, to him.
Sh thinks they've talked in passing, at least once perhaps, maybe even just passed each other, but she can't stop the question - ]
You're taking one, too?
no subject
Yes! I mean...I guess. We might be able to find something back in the city to help translate them? But I don't know this language at all, do you?
[ His reply is typed on a phone as he shows Re-L it. He's on pretty high alert right now so every now and then he'll look around to make sure no one is heading their way. ]
It's kind of strange that no one is around either, isn't it?
no subject
[ There's an arch of a dark brow as he jumps, scrutinizing blue eyes ever fixated despite it, though, as if hoping he'd say he knew something of it. Her tone doesn't bely a bit of disappointment, though, as she responds. ]
... No... It's all runes and scribbles to me. [ Another time she wished that she had Kristeeva or Iggy here to try and run it through their data banks. Not that there was much hope that they would have any information but the off chance was always there. His second message is met with a bit of a rueful tip of her head, though the tone is very much self assured. ]
They're around. No one leaves a place like this completely unwatched or uninhabited when it seems so important in the first place. The question is whether they knew we were coming or not.
no subject
This place...it has a very strange feeling to it doesn't it? We should be careful regardless of whether they know or not.
no subject
Exactly. Who knows what this place has in store considering what was outside and everything... else... [ The general vibe of the place was off putting, and even though Re-L isn't generlaly the type to shy away thanks to a gut feeling... right now she's considering it heavily. Her instincts before had lead her in to an entire educating mess, but right about now? She's not going to listen to that gut feeling. It's only lead her wrong every time, but there's something to be said for force of will, with this one. ]
Something tells me they'll know sooner than later, so keep your eyes peeled, mn? I'm just hoping anything in here can be shot at the very least.
Cavern;
The area between himself and Shigeru’s attacker is blessedly clear, so X’rhun doesn’t waste a moment. Propelled by magic, he dashes forward, running the thing through. So, Shigeru gets his assist in the form of a blade suddenly sprouting from the Ascended’s chest. Sorry, dude. ]
Are you all right, my friend?
no subject
He looks a bit shaken but otherwise fine though. He nods silently, unable to really type as more ascended appear, angered probably for their fallen comrade. ]
no subject
Persistent, are they not?
[ With a motion, X'rhun snaps the crystal onto the hilt of his blade to cast. Tether isn't a spell he uses often, but in cases like this it's nice because it affords them some distance. A wave of orange-y light cascades over the floor, gathering around the ascended's feet and binding them in place. A temporary halt to their advance. ]
That will only hold for a moment, so I suggest we strike now.