Field Mission 3: Brushing the Sun, Part 1

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Are there really no bananas on board this thing? NAVIGATION 1. FIRST, YOU DRAW A CIRCLE Click here for the RNG thread! A. IT'S TIME TO GET TO WORK That certainly isn't to say that your previous efforts have not been hard work. But one half of this mission has been fine tuned, a logistical machine of well-oiled cogs, the creative efforts of a man who has so much to make up for. After the three-hour journey across the sky, you and the three other Reclaimers you boarded the glass orb with will be deposited right in the dead center of Maru, where the Bureau has set up a small camp for gathering, sorting, and sending off supplies. It's chilly, but not unbearably so. The air is thin, but up here, it's probably the cleanest you've breathed anywhere else in Faerun — new and old Reclaimers alike. Whatever goal you decide to work toward during your stay here, after a quick rundown of how supply gathering will work (it's pretty simple: You bring supplies, the unnamed Bureau members assigned to the base will send them off), you're turned loose to the gnarling wilds of the floating continent. Because, as the header says, it's time to get to work. And you most certainly haven't gone unnoticed. 2. USE YOUR PATH ACTIONS WISELY B. ROWDY RUMBLE Those of you who aren't quite combat ready might be getting something of an instant crash course in the art of a hostile encounter — though, perhaps in a bit of a lucky streak, goblins, like the pack of three of them that are leading the charge here, are, uh. Well, they're morons. But these particular three see a bunch of humanoids flying in on what are very clearly cursed globes, and they see a bunch of humanoids wandering the lands and attempting to cash in on their treasure. They were here first, you know! Even if they don't entirely understand why the mine they were here first in isn't exactly on the ground anymore. Or where exactly they are to begin with now. Or ... well, frankly, nothing about any of this makes any sense. Whether you're back at the base at the center of Maru, or whether you're out in the fields, toeing at the ground for hints of treasure underneath, you, and whoever you happen to be traveling with, will be approached by a rather bold trio. And whatever treasure you may have on your person? They're rather keen on taking it. What will you do? Fight? Try to reason with them? For those of you with the combat experience, there are, of course, much bigger fish to fry. Take a look at the YOLO's guide to monsters for a full list of the hostile critters you can challenge to a wrestle during your stay on Maru. C. NIGHTLY WHISPERINGS You've probably heard the rumors by now — the fact that nobody seems interested in going to the small lake and waterfall on Maru once nighttime rolls around. Seems pretty silly, right? Superstitious, even. It's a rather beautiful patch of the floating continent, and if your previous expeditions digging through the ground are any indicator, there's a wealth of valuable items to be had underneath the surface. Hubris might lead you to camping out near the water's edge, for just one evening. And sometime around midnight, provided that same hubris hasn't put you to sleep, the light of your campfire, or the light of the moon, suddenly extinguishes. It's like being wrapped up in a cloak of vantablack, in very nearly every single sense, not just sight. No rustling of leaves, no sound of the wind passing through every nook and cranny of the continent. No light. No nothing. If you decide to book it out of there, be careful, lest you accidentally wander into the lake, without a clear sense of where exactly the exit is. But if you choose to hold steady, after about an hour, the silence and darkness clears — and the scenery returns to normal, as if nothing happened. Something did happen, however. Whether you stayed there for just a moment, you sat through it, or you slept through it, if you were anywhere near the lake at midnight, you'll be subject to a nightly enchantment coming from an unknown source. You may pick one of the following: ○ The next time you are asked a question, whether it's what you had for dinner or whether you're all right, you will be magically forced to answer it truthfully. The effect wears off after one question. ○ When you speak, you'll hear yourself speaking normally. Everyone else will hear you either making an animal noise, or repeating a sentence you've said before, regardless of its relevance. That goes all the way back to your canon! The effect begins at sunrise, and lasts for three hours. ○ Whenever you try to leave, it feels as if your shoes are suddenly made with two tons of lead. You will not be able to move away normally. Someone's going to have to carry you out of there. ○ When the sun rises, you will be magically reduced to half your height. The effect lasts for five hours. 3. MINE CART MADNESS D. I'M ABOUT TO LOSE MY MINE, UP IN HERE, UP IN HERE. Eventually, you'll probably find yourself down in the mine's labyrinthine system of tunnels and networks that seem to sprawl out in nearly endless directions. Be careful when you turn corners, as there may be an Umber Hulk or a Basilisk waiting for you in the darkness, but as you look down, you do notice tracks that head in nearly every direction. Whoever had initially excavated this area was quite laborious and thorough with the pathing down in its deepest delves. One turn leans to another long corridor, and maybe another turn leads you back in a circle. Mining equipment can be found almost everywhere, left to rust and decay with the passage of time that could only indicate hundreds of years of being completely unbothered. You step forward, and look to see a path that carves out into four directions- straight, left, right, and back. And you quickly realize something doesn't feel right. That's true- as you begin to step forward and take a path, you find yourself back to where you started after walking for a little while. Turn back, and you might notice that you're in the exact place you just were as well. Maybe you brought some chalk with you, or maybe you managed to drop something here like a breadcrumb trail to tell you which way you've already headed. Or maybe you don't even notice it until you've been walking for hours, but you're stuck in a loop. Of those four directions, you'll notice something peculiar if you start to take notice. ○ One direction will always lead you back to where you started. ○ If you listen close enough, down one hall you'll be able to hear the sound of a coastline, weak waves echoing and crashing against the shore. Follow that sound and you'll come to the source of it: a large standing pool of water that sits absolutely still, no tide. You can swim to the bottom of it, not a problem. There doesn't seem to be anything there. But the walls are bio-luminescent, coated with weird fungi that you definitely don't want to eat. ○ When you look on the ground, you can always find baby fire beetles at the mouth to one of the spokes. Follow those markings long enough and you'll inexplicably be sent back to the mine's entrance. ○ One direction is completely nondescript, but unlike the first one that sends you to the beginning of the maze, you enter a new area that doesn't hold any of the signs that you were there previously. You can follow this lead for several iterations, and eventually come to a four-way that has no features noticeable whatsoever: no beetles, no sound of rushing water. But you head down one of them and you're back to where you started. E. I'LL FOLLOW BEHIND YOU ON RAINBOW ROAD. Mind boggling puzzles aside, you're welcome to explore the depths of the Lost Mine of Phandelver. One of the more ridiculous, albeit, fun adventures you can take is a mine cart ride through the mine down to the farthest reaches. It starts off relatively bumpy and doesn't seem to smooth out at any given point, but it's the closest thing you're going to get to a roller coaster ride down here in Faerun. Reaching the end is a matter of waiting the cruise- and you eventually come to a dead end. There's stuff you can mine down here as it empties out into a vast, damp cavern. Iron, several types of cheap gemstones, and rocks can be found pretty much anywhere. If you're looking to rebuild Vista Virs, this is a good place to start. If you're looking to make a little cash on the side, that's possible too. We're not here to judge your moral intentions. Getting back isn't as fun as it was coming down here, as you're pretty much stuck pushing the cart back to where it was if you want to take things out. Don't worry about the logistics too much; there always seems to be a cart available for you to descend, and oddly enough, it never feels like it's the same journey down and back twice in a row. F. BEEN HERE ALL NIGHT. BEEN HERE ALL DAY. There are a few notable places to explore while you're down in Phandelver: ○ An administrative office, complete with desks that haven't been touched in years. Several papers are still there, with dates that go far and wide back into the past. Touching them causes it to disintegrate into dust. For anyone who makes it down there, there is a lockbox to be found that can be opened by smashing it on the ground or attempting to unlock it with thieves' tools. While the contents are up to you to decide, nothing in there should be magical beyond a simple potion of healing, aged... several centuries. ○ An old room that seems to be barred from the inside, about an hour's walk past the mine entrance. Outside, you can find several skeleton carcasses of humanoid creatures that have long since died down here. If you try to make it into the room by force, you'll be greeted with a barracks that once housed the dwarves who worked down here. You get the sense that a battle happened in these parts, but beyond that, it's kind of hard to tell what went down. ○ A large quarry with a practically neolithic drill in the center of it. It hasn't seen use in quite some time, but be careful as the drop can be upwards of 100 feet. Another prime locale for mining, this area seems to house sturdier metals. Hence, the drill being necessary. Be careful, this is prime Umber Hulk territory. ○ Various storerooms that housed supplies for the workers of the cavern. You'll find wine and spirits down in the depths, and who wouldn't want to try some 300 year old whiskey? The climate down here is particularly perfect for keeping and storing these rare and fine vittles. Drink up, it's on us. ○ One peculiar room that when you enter, you feel a chill sort of feeling take over your body. There's a bed in here, with a storage chest at the base of it. Attempting to open it or touch it or even having an intention to steal/uncover what's inside will cause you to hear incredibly powerful and loud screaming in your head, enough to make you clutch your ears and take psychic damage from it. Hm. 4. WILDCARD The floating continent of Maru is your world to explore, and your story to write! You may use any of the prompts we've given you here, or you may come up with your own prompts — you can utilize any part of the setting provided in the OOC post. If you'd like the outcome of a particular thread randomized, or if you'd like to investigate a particular part of the setting, feel free to drop a note in the RNG thread and we'll set up a roll for you. As always, be amazing. You're two for two on reclaiming Grand Relics, and we can't wait to see what you do here. blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

[notthatbutler]

A: Are you working too hard? You don't want to end up like me, do you?

[Oh he likes this. It's a base of operations, out in the wilderness...it reminds Dwyer a little of home, really. Even if "home" was technically a small bubble in the astral plane that his mother could alter and reshape as she saw fit. Mainly, the concept of a camp with things to do is just. So very familiar and reassuring to him, that it seems like he fits into the hustle and bustle with ease.

Is there like. Anyplace he can help cook stuff for everyone? If there is, he's there, for whatever times he's lingering at the camp, so if you want to chat with him about whatever, here's the place.]

B: *sigh* If you insist...

I don't have anything. Please go away.

[It's said with all the tired, flat intonation that can only come from Dwyer, but the three gerblins that have surrounded him don't seem keen on believing him. They jeer and point fingers, accusing him of stealing their treasure, even as he turns out his coat pockets. He's got nothing in them. (Anything of actual importance isn't kept in such easily accessible pockets, after all.)]

What would you guys even use all this supposed treasure for? It's not like you can sell it to anyone on the ground...

[He seems to be taking the "talk some sense into these idiots" route, but the more they cajole him, the more likely he is to actually fight them. Do you want to stay and watch, or will you help a Reclaimer out?]

E: It'd probably hurt pretty bad if you held some ore while you punched a guy, right?

[Ah, now this too is familiar - just like the Nohrian mine back home. What was it that they managed to pull from the earth there? Was it rubies? Dwyer thinks it might've been rubies. The spring had jade, the mine had rubies - materials somehow essential for enhancing yumi and lances respectively. He has no idea if the same principle applies in Faerun, but at least he knows what he's doing. Carefully, with one of the rusted pickaxes, he digs with a fair amount of care and caution, setting the gems and things he finds aside so he can gather them up and put them in his mine cart for later. There is a point where he hits upon a vein of aquamarine, and he spends a long while just staring at one of the stones before pocketing it for himself.

What? This is for his holy symbol, don't judge. It's pretty. Shush.]

F: This isn't my job...

[Oh. Oh, this is...wow. It's really hitting home that this was once a prosperous and bustling mine, just from the abandoned offices, but the skeletons that are decidedly not magical really puts it into perspective. Since this place couldn't have been floating in the air long enough for all these bodies to just turn to dust...could they be much, much older? It's kind of sad.

He wonders, idly, if anyone had ever given the bodies their last rites. He wonders if it's something the other Clerics might want to do, if he presents the idea. After all, they are all profiting from what the dead left behind, they might as well thank them.]

press f to pay respects

[mylawn]

[76 is finding plenty to explore down in Phandelver, though he treats it with much less reverence than some. Sure, he's careful with the ancient artifacts, and he's not running around touching things, but skeletons aren't anything he hasn't seen before. Obviously, something happened here a long time ago, and it's more of a curiosity than anything, like he's wandering through a museum.

Along those lines, he has found a bottle of that 300-year-old whiskey, and is wandering back in the direction he came, working on the cork. It comes out of the bottle with a pop right when he's passing Dwyer.]

Want some? It's not bad.

[notthatbutler]

Some of what?

[He actually doesn't know that there's rare vintages in the cellar, like a cask of Amontillado, so the offer is a bit of a surprise. He's still somewhat engrossed in looking at these sad dead skeletons. Gosh, they sure are old. Old as balls.]

[mylawn]

This.

[He holds out the bottle. There are no glasses to speak of, but luckily 76 doesn’t mind sharing. It’s possible he feels Dwyer might need it, staring at the skeletons for as long as he has been.]

[notthatbutler]

Oh. Um, sure.

[He's not dumb, he can tell that the bottle is alcohol once he gets a whiff of the contents, but Dwyer's also not rude. He takes a sip, stifling a cough as he finishes and hands the bottle back.]

Thanks- [Hoof, that's some strong stuff! No more for him, he knows his limits.] That's - where'd you find that, anyway?

[mylawn]

I was just looking around.

[There's a ton of stuff down here, so it was only a matter of time before he stumbled upon something like this. There are more bottles, and perhaps he'll take another look unless he finds something more interesting along the way.]

Everything was sealed, so it's probably safe to drink.

[Probably.]

[notthatbutler]

[Well, if nothing else, it'll be good to have something to disinfect wounds with. And then get drunk off, if so needed.]

Well, if I end up unusually ill, I'll know who to blame.

[It's more tongue in cheek than anything, he won't get mad if he gets sick. It'd be on him for drinking the dang thing.]

It's probably been down here a long time, then...maybe even longer than these guys. And they've definitely been here for ages.

[mylawn]

That's fine. You have permission.

[That said, however, he's not about to drink any more. Sure, it takes him more alcohol than most for him to get properly drunk, but he's never been one to be inebriated on a mission. A test to make sure it's palatable and not poison. He'll save it for later.

For now, he turns his attention to the corpses. There's a story to be told here, though he's not sure what.]

Some kind of fight, that's for sure.

[notthatbutler]

[Give it to Qrow, he'll appreciate it

No, don't actually give it to Qrow, it's not healthy. But Dwyer's in no position to say anything to the man.]

Maybe. But even so...the skeletons are holding up really well. They're old, but they're not...[He makes a gesture towards one.] You'd expect them to be dust by now.

[mylawn]

[Don't worry, he's extremely ready to keep it all for himself. For now, the bottle goes into his rucksack, turning his attention to the corpses in front of them. Obviously, not something he could or should nudge with his boot.]

Seems pretty climate-controlled down here.

[Still, there's no real way to tell how old they are.]

Find anything else?

[notthatbutler]

[Huh. Climate control. He's never thought about that in regard to bodies before. But is that really all it is?]

Not really. There's definitely something I'm missing...I think.

B

[whippings]

( Franziska sees the man surrounded by the goblins and although she is temporarily tempted to just leave him to his own devices, she supposes she should help him out, considering their circumstances.

So she saunters over, wearing slightly more practical clothes than her usual courtroom attire, and her whip at the ready.

She addresses the man: )

Are they bothering you?

[notthatbutler]

Of course they are, they won't listen to sense-

[He just sort of says it in his usual tired, off-handed manner, and the goblins loudly complain in return, not noticing that Dwyer pauses when he notices that this woman is just casually brandishing a whip.

Nor do the goblins notice the whip.

Um.]

[whippings]

( She raises her whip. )

Would you like me to talk some reason into them?

( She's nothing if not direct... )

[notthatbutler]

With that thing...?

[The goblins finally take notice that their tormentee isn't paying attention to them, and they look up...and now they see the whip, immediately clustering together and backing up.

Who knew, these guys are easily intimidated.]

A

[maskreant]

[ !!! Akira sees Dwyer—then sees how Dwyer kind of brightens up in their new base of operations. To Akira, this mission is like any other mission... In an odd place, with an objective, and a bunch of stuff to do, but now he wonders if there's something special.

He keeps those thoughts to himself as he sneaks up. ]

Looking for something?

[ Or are you cooking—he would like a snack. ]

[notthatbutler]

Not in particular.

[He's cooking, most likely - someone's brought a basket of those edible yet nasty mushrooms and he's cleaning them off real gentle-like, cutting off the ends of the stems and setting them aside. Maybe roasting them with something will improve the flavor to "not gross". Do they have salt somewhere? Maybe. Maybe there's salt. Who knows. They should definitely all start packing entire Fantasy Costco seasoning sets for stuff like this.]

How are you holding up?

[maskreant]

[ He... sees the mushrooms and recognizes them from his little encounter with Sayori, but he won't mention they're gross. The line of thought is shared here—maybe it'll taste better cooked? Cooked mushrooms. Stuffed mushrooms. Tasty. ]

All right. I've come across some weird things... Like people cawing and trying to tame a fire beetle, but doing pretty well.

[ Nodding a couple of times. After his last expedition to the waterfall (fortunately in the day) to get water, he has returned with canteens. ]

Did you taste the mushrooms?

[ Just. Wondering. In case Dwyer wasn't aware. ]

[notthatbutler]

[He looks at Akira then, really looks at him. And...well, he's trying not to do the thing with his face where people remark he looks scarily like his father - it's the expression that seems to say "do you take me for an idiot", and he hates unleashing it on people he has positive opinions of. So, the expression on Dwyer's face is schooled neutrality with a hint of disapproval. But maybe he just disapproves of these nasty 'shrooms.]

I did. You need to know what you're working with in order to cook it...but logically, mushrooms should soak up the flavors of whatever they are prepared with. I'm really hoping I can make them, at the least, palatable.

[Takes a breath, goes back to his prep.]

Are there really fire beetles around here...? I hadn't seen any.

[maskreant]

[ He... Looks back at Dwyer, though apologetically. Of course, responsible people would taste test before using anything. It would be unwise, otherwise. However, he never quite had a mushroom that made left the feeling like he just ate something sandy. Can you blame him?

It's. So tempting to say Dwyer's "magic words" from back in the caverns, but he digresses. He's already edging being on his bad side he can feel it. ]

Work your magic. If there's anything I can help with, do ask. [ !!! He can make curry, but he's learning some more cooking skills. ] We found one, but...

I wouldn't go looking for them unless you need an easy nightlight?

[notthatbutler]

[...Eh, apology accepted. It's a weird ass mushroom.]

No, let them stay where they want to stay. I'm sure they'll pop up somewhere else eventually.

[No use in stirring up a fire beetle's ire. But as for help...]

Hm...I don't know. It's more, I'm still figuring out what'll work and what won't. [He holds up a mushroom.] Any suggestions?

[maskreant]

[ Oh, my god. Would he be a basic bitch if he said curry? It’s so close to saying it, but he’s not sure if they have all the spices to use here. It also takes a long time to cook and simmer if they really want the mushrooms to soak in that flavor. He fiddled with his bangs, thinking. ]

... Maybe it’ll be good in a pasta? The sauce can mask the mushroom taste or dilute it and maybe the sandy aftertaste could be mistaken for bread crumbs.

[ No one said they had to enhance the mushroom and make it the star. ]

[notthatbutler]

[Do it, Akira, be the basic bitch.]

...Oh, that's clever. I hadn't thought of that. Though, I've never put breadcrumbs in pasta...

[Still, he's definitely considering it!]

It would definitely add something to the dish...what kind of sauce, though? Normally I'd say a simple oil sauce with garlic, but that would be if they were normal mushrooms.

[maskreant]

I've seen it baked on macaroni ad cheese.

[ THAT'S PASTA, RIGHT?

Oh, no. Dwyer is asking him for more advice than he can give. He thinks back to his time with pasta and they vary. Which is the thickest sauce...? Would it makes sense for him to say white sauce? Then there's the meat sauce. Stroking his chin more, he closes his eyes.

He likes the white sauce— ]

Al... Fredo? I think any thick sauce would work.

[ Yeah. ]

[notthatbutler]

[What's a mac and cheese

No, wait-]

What's an al-fredo?