The Shroud

[Laur]

Laur would indeed be quite capable of percieving that the energy attached to the well within and beneath them was contrkbuting translation to them, along with the knowledge of its presence seeming many layers below them. Presently Laur proceeded to examine the riddles with those piercing eyes, the mature woman then proceeded to whip out a notebook and commence writing a copy of such down.

[vibribbon]

Medici wipes his forehead. "I'll be honest with you - I haven't had time to get into the mythology of the place. The fact that the cave is blocking frequencies is a real problem - we'll have to go with our best guesses"

The medic picks up the statue of the snake, looking at the inscription. "That said, I'm pretty sure the answer to 1 is either this or the demon, and I think it's the snake. The demon would likely be two, and I haven't an idea on the other answers"

Suvanka simply stares at the inscription for 3. "Prodigal son or studious daughter,
Ostracize threads both friend and kin... It's not me, is it?"

(Want to apolgize for taking so long - school has been so stressful that I had to put this way on the backburner. Was only reminded of it because of the ping X_X)

[Game Master]

Air broken by Earth.
Earth scorched by Fire.
Fire drenched by Water
Water faded by Spirit.
And Spirit dusted by the Air.

By careful deduction, the group managed to solve the puzzle regarding this syncretism of distinct beliefs. Laur’s experience regarding Tezcans, Wade’s origin among the Hulders. And the right admixture of discussion from all that to the right alignment: Avian, then Golem. Demon, then Serpent. Bones, then the orb at the center of everything.

Whoever constructed and programed the altar clearly knew plenty of both alien cultures. Reflection of these ‘Mirror Scales’ and intuition of these ‘Hidden People… Though, while no enemies appeared, the final riddle did not reveal itself. Or at least, none how they expected-

In a sudden blink, one massive grey eye would stare down from above. The milky gray lens nearly stretched from end to end, north to south and so across the entirety temple’s ceiling. None would escape its gaze in time…

… Blink?

============

Blink...

After a painless bright white light flooded the temple they once stood trapped, they find themselves resettled underground. Probably teleportation, right? The mutant might yield the best guess by a natural perception of magic in her surroundings. She and anyone would have felt a brief surge of activity washed their minds. Eldritch aura from the altar relocated them closer to their destination. The Temple knew. The slumbering Herald knew.

Yet, it might help the group overall if someone could make heads or tails of the current location.

Somewhere they been dropped in the dimly lit caverns. By a luminescence from neither six-limbed critters or unnamed species of moss. Precise sight, keen smell easily ruled out anything mundane like gems, torchlight, and such… It be pulsating flesh...

Heavily interwoven along cavern walls and beyond laid an unsettling environment-better fitting for necromancers. Blood vessels over power lines. Calcified bones in vague corral structure before the use of wooden planks and nails for support. Even the two potential tunnels they could take seemed to be carved out by frightening claws than any typical mining tools.

Now. Would they decide to go further ‘East’ to their right, in following the direction they took before? As they arrived by the entrance from the west in regards to the Temple previously in. Or would the idea of backtracking ‘West’ on their left be ideal instead? Given they were redirected to this room not by their choice.

[Swix]

"What the-How horrible!" Jinx immediately exclaimed after having been teleported like everyone else, it being hard to tell if she'd meant the eye or this fleshy monstrosity stretching in two directions. "Which way?"

[Laur]

"How very Kronenberg"

This particular comment slipped from withing the once reluctant mutants mouth, as her piercing blue eyes proceeded to take in their physical surroundings whilst she examined how it felt utilising her unique ability to feel energy. Had they perhaps been teleported deeper down?

[BoltAscendent]

Eltra slowly looked around the space, appearing quite unshaken by it. The floran had some experience with such things, in multiple places. Just need to watch out for self defense mechanisms and hostile auras that might try and eat them. But...the floran had something for this. He rummaged in his clothes and unfolded two small, expendable scouting drones, going to send them to both paths and see what was there. No reason to recklessly walk into danger just yet. The floran was so glad he'd been being tempered against eldritch influence...

[Game Master]

From the calculated thoughts of that mutant, such description is rather apt for the alien environment they dwelt within. No… Uncanny would be better suited. Whether human or floral being, there stood several features to be discovered by the scouting drones. Though only the taste of such eerie clarity.

Scattered in probably random plantings before growth would be countless creatures. Sapient and not, formerly free-ranging bodies lay entombed in the organic stonework. Some shapings reminiscent to that of corals for the beasts utilized-whereas the ‘lively ones’ all were either humanoid or close enough. Those poor, dead people… As in either tormented, cancerous prisoners to the crazed structural designs. Or regressed to petrified carcaress of bone and supporting cartilage webbing, with just the barest readings of mental presence. Never their own, of course. Just the incomprehensible wailing echoes from beings capable of motion themselves. Substantial evidence noted in the westward path on their left.

Mighty, pulsating arteries hung across the ceiling. Likely derived from natural sorts, given the grotesque sculpting done thus far. Yet the several varieties carried along substances that weren’t blood. Air flow. Water. Saturated fluids transporting cargo past the leathery walls to places still unseen by the drone. Of course these entities retained some sort of hide in their servitude; bearing most of the active growth in contrast to the dormant exposed bones.

… Which were in greater abundance in the right path eastward. Funneling emptiness and wastes back to a center tucked away near where the grouped had been dropped off by that weird eye. Expected work for veins certainly...

The cave complex itself never seemed more alive until now with this information. Multiple circulatory systems alone, if not other metamorphic biological organs to discover. And they haven’t encountered any enemies as of yet...

[Swix]

"Anything we ought to be concerned about?" Jinx asked Eltra, concerned and impatient about where to go. The young girl really wanted them all to get a move on.

[Game Master]

.. The reverberating groans out from the half-living features forewarned signals of menace sure enough. By the former sapients encrusted into rock, no. Rather it being their anguish in response to the unnatural horrors ahead..

At the eastern path which a drone undertook, its Floran owner might be in need of a replacement in the future. There laid out in front of its visual field a wide-stretched chamber with stairwells leading further up and deeper down. Each step of course composed of the wretched exposed bone designs. As with signs around indicating this section of the caverns for a workstation. Half-finished living weapons of iron-soaked blades and spear points, with the ends quivering about in place.

The ones which tended to this corner of the complex took note of the drone. Reacting with high-pitched shrieks to sound off the alert, several dangling serpents darted to snap at the machine with elongated fangs… Only snake-like by creator's will: with each skull devised from a once-free human. And the bodies being former spines they held inside.

((Threat Encountered past the Right Tunnel! Six armless flesh constructs attacking one drone.))

[vibribbon]

(Want to apologize for taking so bloody long. End of last month had me recovering from a dying tooth, and I sortof forgot about this for a while)

Suvanka's eyes dilate. Thanks to training brought up on by her (physically abusive) father, she's incredibly quick on her Schofield. Time slows for her, nearly stopping. Impact points highlight her senses as she grabs her revolver with her right hand and uses the left to hit the hammer, fanning the revolver as it lets out six shots. Only then as her senses sink back to reality does she dolphin-dive backwards.

Her one cohort who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty looks over as he charges up his electro gun. "Tom? Where's Tom? Want to try something"

[Jent]

"Tom's been out of the main game for awhile. Stuck out with others in the snow."

Wade, while impressed that this woman sensed a threat nearby during the drones' scouting mission. He couldn't ignore the fact she just realized that some people got locked out. Strange temple and their gates.

"I'd rather face the enemy we know, than the unknown!

Which the huldu meant: take the right! Confront whatever Eltra's machines discovered and try to get the jump on them first!

[BoltAscendent]

Eltra nodded, tapping along the air a few times. Recall that drone, if possible, and detonate it as a grenade if it's damaged beyond salvage. The tall plant stretched and summoned up a weapon. A rail gun with Depleted Uranium rounds, of all thing. A screen displayed, to give them the enemies involved. As the floran started towards it, a small shift in his gloves could be noticed by the highly aware, preparing a self defense weapon for those who got too close.

[Swix]

"Down the right then" Jinx said, happy to finally have a direction to go in but still with the group, Jinx pulled out a dagger of hers and started off down that way.

[Game Master]

Animalistic, no, suicidal in approach, the inner mechanisms would be forced to explode against the frenzied flesh beasts. Last glimmers of snarls and shrieks by the relay feed showed no concern of own well being. Certainly far from well as any creature could. Reduced to nothing more than splattered blood and fragmented bone.

Their true deaths did not go to waste. For fast approaching at the corridor the group made way for, two wretched figures appeared. Standing at guard to block the path of the group from advancing farther. By tattered and stained apron garments both. As well gnarled tools sculpted from still living bone, they had to be the surgeons of this workshop chamber. Wrong, for even a surgeon would take some measures to reduce the suffering of their work.

Each a piece naturally wore skins of greyish hue, tainted by splotches of dark blue amix. Their scalps baren apart from the loneliest of hairs in the balding state, leaving nothing to shield the elongated ears drawn to point… And those eyes. Golden as feral dogs gone awry in madness, nearing to froth in mouth. Sporting sharpened teeth no human should possess! “Intruders! Filthy intruders!” cried the foul-smelling beasts of men… Or rather, vampires!

((Threat Felled: six cartilage creatures by explosive boom!))

Threat Encountered in vampiric workshop: two furious thralls!))

[BoltAscendent]

Ah. Resistance. Luckily, the plant was prepared for that. He whipped the primary weapon of his towards them as the suit handled the fine movement and precision aim. It's not silver, but the plant figured a large caliber slug of depleted uranium sent out of a railgun should certainly get it done. And if they got close, they'd be introduced to a palm-mounted flamethrower. Once this set of five rounds of ammo was used, he'd load in some blessed silver bullets. Thanks Mitsuko! It'll be time to unleash the power of the sun! Contains 5% juice.