thebastion | Day 129 and Day 130 :: The Mancer Observatory

Entry tags:

Day 129 and Day 130 :: The Mancer Observatory

Who: Nathaniel and the characters listed here
Open: Closed
When: Days 129 and 130
Where: The Mancer Observatory
What: With enough power and supplies to make the long trip out to the Mancer Observatory, a small group has gone there to look for clues about the Calamity.
Format: action
Warnings: None so far

[After finding several pieces of information and some intense discussion, Nathaniel has decided that it would be best to head to the headquarters of the Mancers, the Mancer Observatory. After all, if anyone would have an understanding of what cause the Calamity, it is the Mancers, and several clues have been pointing in that direction already. Nathaniel is apprehensive of what he will find there, but he still has to look. If something can help them figure out just what happened to rip the entire universe apart, then maybe they can find a way to fix it.

However, Nathaniel can't do this alone. He is just one man, and he cannot protect himself on the Skyway for as long as it will take to get to the Mancer Observatory. So, he has arranged to have a small team of residents go with him, so that they can use teamwork to accomplish their goal of finding out more about the Calamity. With rations and supplies for two days, the group sets off from the Bastion on Day 129, early in the morning.

Hopefully all of them will return, safe and sound, in a day or so.]

Thread links:

Day 129- getting started
Day 129- Observatory: front gates
Day 130- continuing the search
Day 130- the records building

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[With everyone agreeing, off they goooo!

The stairs down are unlit, and Nathaniel ends up getting out a lantern he had brought (one of the old ones, that uses a candle) so they can see. After going down a few flights of stairs, they come to a long hallway, with a door at the end.]

Okay, don't step on the black tiles, or any tiles along the walls.

[Doing so will result in gunshots from hidden doors in the walls.]

[Colin doesn't need to be told twice. He's going to dutifully follow Nathan. He's ALSO going to switch vision modes, scanning the black tiles, the wall tiles, and, y'know... pretty much the whole hallway. He wants to know what the trap mechanisms look like from a technical standpoint, so he knows what to avoid later on. ... And what he can build easily with the supplies he gathers from this world.]

[In the meantime, Paarthurnax looks back to the group of nearby beasts after the rest of the group has disappeared into the building. He tries to get a better look at them and see just what they're dealing with- he already knows some beasts are more interested in peace than others, after all. Whether a Lunkhead or a Pecker can make all the difference.]

[He decides to adjust his posture accordingly, keeping himself lower to the ground so that he doesn't tower as much and makes sure not to bow his head much. Don't want to show off his horns in an accidentally threatening manner. If he can get them to understand he's not interested in a fight, perhaps that will help.]

Let me know if you see any other creatures, Rin.

[Jazz hadn't spoken up but he was able bodied. He followed the group down into the underground. He stayed quite for the most part, listening to the others as they spoke.

Nathaniel's advice was heeded by the rebel leader. He steps carefully, making sure to avoid any near the walls or any black ones. So far so good.]

[Rin nodded silently to Paar. She felt horrible, but she was still attentive in spite of it. Her ears were trained to the sounds of her friends, plus the ambient noises around them, and she was making sure no odd scents were in the air.

So far, so good...]

[ Viola hopscotches her way across the tiled floor, following Nathanial's instructions and bringing up the tail end of the group. This place was eerie and the further they traveled, the more unsettled Viola became. ]

[Outside group: Finally one of the monsters is going to be brave enough to come over. A squirt, this one larger than the others (probably soon to grow into a Gasfella) makes its way over to Rin and Paar, but it stops before it gets too close. Then it starts squeaking at them, like it is trying to say something.

Upper group: The floor is not booby-trapped up here, thankfully, but the file cabinets are locked. You will need either a key, or to break the lock.

Lower group: Colin's scan reveals that it is a very simple kind of contraption. Stepping on the wrong tiles would make them sink, which would pull a rope, which is connected to the guns. very rudimentary, easy to replicate.

Once they reach the large door at the end, Nathaniel holds up a hand to stop them all. Then, stepping carefully, he moves to work on a small lock on the door. He doesn't know the combination, but he does know how to listen to the lock and hear when the pins slide into place.

After a minute or so, the door finally clicks open, and they can step into the next room. But be careful to hop over that last set of tiles!

The next room is very dark, with the only light coming from the torch. On this floor are many vines, laying this way and that, though they seem to get thicker the deeper into the building they go. Nathaniel is puzzled by this, and he is going over to investigate.]

What in the world is this?

I wonder if we can get that rope later...

[Ryu follows along, taking careful leaps across the floor. It's almost relaxing to be darting through puzzles again. Ryu approaches the vines carefully though, and follows Nathaniel as he nears them.]

I have a bad feeling about this...

[Rather than touch them with a hand, he draws his sword to poke at one.]

Nathan, are you a botanical biologist?

[Colin sounds a little sterner than usual.]

We don't want the uneducated to touch buttons... but if we don't know what the flora is, we shouldn't get too close either. Remember what happened in the swamp with strange plants...

[He's going to start talking to himself as he puzzles it out. But, he isn't a botanist either...]

Not roots, definitely another sort of vine plant... almost no exposure to sun means it doesn't get energy from photosynthesis... Unless it emerges elsewhere? Possibly a thermal feeder? I wish Briar or Rosethorn were here...

Yeah, one of them would probably know-

[Nathaniel doesn't get to finish his sentence. Just as he is starting to back up away from the vines, Ryu pokes one, and it makes several nearby snap up. This startles Nathaniel, who jumps back, and trips over one of the other vines.

That vine immediately wraps around Nathaniel's leg and starts dragging him quickly down a hall, which is through one of the many doors in that room. Another will snatch for Ryu, and if it gets him it will try to drag him through a different door.]

[Rin smelled it before she saw it, that weird tar and oil scent that lingered around most of the creatures in that class. She turned, hand reaching for the blade at her hip, but she stopped when she realized what it was.

A Squirt, much bigger than the one she accidentally brought back with her to the Bastion, but... not attacking. In fact it was squeaking at her.

Her hand moved away, and she took a step closer, testing it's tolerance of her. Unlike demons, she couldn't communicate telepathically, but for some reason she could understand them. Like a feeling, not actual words. The closer they became to Gasfellas, the more it was like they were "older" in some way and easier for her to understand. She didn't always realize it since they were often trying to attack her too much for her to tune in to that, but she had noticed it in her last trip with Colin, with the Gasfella she had managed to get to back down, and she was feeling it now.]

... what're you tryin' to say?

Edited 2013-12-06 22:05 (UTC)

[Paarthurnax keeps his head even lower now, chin brushing against the ground.]

Perhaps you can show us what you mean?

[Considering what they grow up into, Paarthurnax doesn't brush aside the idea that perhaps the Squirts can be communicated with. Why not, after all?]

[Dammit. Ryu growls, and raises his sword, flames appearing around it. He points it at the vines approaching him, and the flames fly towards it.]

Burn!

[And with that, he tries to jump over the vine and chase after Nathaniel.]

Why do I even try talking?

[Now comes the hard part. Okay, observations and priorities.

1. There are traps in the halls, they'll probably come in handy if they can find more. Devote a couple of passive scan cycles to structural irregularities of similar design to the traps he's already seen.

2. The vines are everywhere. Set a proximity flasher to alert him if any plant matter gets within five feet of him. This is going to be going off a lot, he suspects...

3. Nathan's been grabbed. Number 1 objective has now become "Rescue Nathan", and the documents are a secondary concern. Getting a lock on his biological signature is easy. Following it... that's the hard part.

4.It's underground, it's a plant, so it's probably subsisting off of heat rather than light. Or possibly radiation. Either way... fire is probably not the best way to fight it.]

Ryu, Viola! If you've got anything cold, use it! We've got to try and render it dormant! And don't touch the plant, it probably functions by touch and vibration!

[As for Colin... well, he's got a rapier with a decent edge, but this thing is dragging fully-grown men around. He needs something better... fortunately, he HAS something better. It's not a weapon, but in this instance? It will do.

He pulls his toolkit out of his pants-pocket and produces his multi-tool, turning it into a Laser Cutter. It's short range, but it can cut through hullmetal like butter. Plant matter will be nothing. Arming himself took ten seconds, and that's time he didn't have... which leads to his last realization.

5. Chasing a plant through strange underground facilities is a good way to get lost... he's now mapping his route, so he can find his way back out.

And now, time to chase Nathan and the plant!]

[Meanwhile, upstairs Alucard has been systematically breaking into and looking through all the file cabinets, oblivious to the chaos going on downstairs. He figures this would probably be easier if he could actually read any of these documents, but there really isn't much he can do about it.]

Nathaniel!

[This wasn't good. The vines possibly weren't vines. He stepped toward the vines and slammed his sword down. Getting into the room and after their companion was his first priority.]

Maelstrom! [Dark energy and what seemed to be wind flew out from the tip of Jazz's sword. It would at least help to clear some of the vines out of their way.]

[OUTSIDE: The squirt squeaks some more, clearly trying its best to communicate with Rin and Paar. What Rin can get from it is a sense of confusion, and a sense that the real danger is inside the building everyone is in, and the squirt is clearly confused as to why anyone would go in. There is also the distinct sense that whatever danger is in there eats everything, monster or human.

UPSTAIRS: Of course, the vampire can easily break into these file cabinets. They really stood no chance.

There are many files, though it may be hard to find the right one if Alucard doesn't remember the symbols Nathaniel showed him. Additionally, Alucard can find some useful things in the room. Letter openers (small silver daggers), ink, pens for writing, and so forth. There is also a container on one desk, with a bunch of shards within it.

DOWNSTAIRS: Ryu manages to avoid capture by lighting the vine on fire, and it quickly withdraws from the room after being burned. The other one, however is still dragging Nathaniel away, and he is screaming while trying to grab onto something, anything to stop himself from being dragged away.

Anyone chasing after should probably watch out for the vines laying on the ground. Hurting them with magic seems to chase them away, as Ryu and Jazz have shown, but they will snatch up anyone who physically touches them.]

I don't--...

[Rin stared at the Squirt, equally confused as to what it was trying to get across. At least at first. The more it made that noise the more clear the message became.]

-- ! Th... there's somethin' inside! Somethin' bad!

[ Lacking any elemental-based abilities, Viola leaves the attacking to the others. Her attention is on the vine dragging Nathanial away. Eyes never leaving her target, she whips an arrow from her quiver and draws it back on her bowstring. She takes aim at the vine, just above where it wrapped around Nathanial's leg. She aims carefully, expending two precious seconds to make certain that her arrow will strike exactly where she wants it to in order to sever the vine. She puts all her strength into drawing back the bowstring and looses it, sending an arrow whistling through the air toward her target. ]

[Of course. There always is. Paarthurnax gives a rough snort of air through his nostrils, quietly frustrated.]

How so? What danger does it pose to us, can you tell?

I-I don't know but they shouldn't have gone in there!

[That was all Rin could figure out, anyway. There was no way to really translate what exactly was being said.]

[A much stronger huff of air this time, and Paarthurnax starts to turn to face the building proper.]

Rin. Cover your ears.

['Why' should be fairly obvious as he takes in a deep breath, lungs expanding to take in air. What he next shouts doesn't have the power of the Thu'um behind it.. but his voice still shakes the walls somewhat.]

LEAVE NOW.

[A nod to Rin to move towards the doors, just in case she's a little deaf from that.]

Please make certain that they are coming back.

[He would do it himself, except... doors.]

[Rin threw her hands over her ears, pressing down as hard as she could. The bellowing still rattled her greatly and made her ears ache from the sheer volume of it.

Once it was over, though, she nodded to Paar and tore down the same pathway that everyone else had taken down. She was nearly on top of one of the tiles when she skidded to a halt, arms wheeling in the air to keep her from falling on top of it.]

Ahh!

[Shit that was right. The last thing she heard from them before they were too far away for her to hear was not to touch the tiles there.

But how the hell was she supposed to get across to them?!]

Damn it--!

[Alucard has just managed to find the proper file when Paarthurnax's warning reaches him. It's... not precisely unnerving, but definitely not a good sign.

He grabs a few pens, bottles of ink, and the jar of shards before skipping the stairs and just hopping out the nearest window. The Old One did say now, after all.]

Come on, Nathan! If this were a hull breech, you'd be sucking vacuum!

[Colin's hearing is sharp, and he can hear the bow drawing behind him. He ducks low and keeps scrambling after Nathan, not about to let the other engineer get dragged out of sight. He activates the laser cutter, a short, bright beam of light illuminating the room as he pursues. Viola's arrow will reach before he does, but when he gets there, he's going to commit a few acts of unlicensed tree surgery.]

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