balance_logs | Field Mission 3: Brushing the Sun, Part 1

Field Mission 3: Brushing the Sun, Part 1

	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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i. 3d - the mines

[This is definitely a ‘safety in numbers’ situation, though 76 has become better about the whole ‘team’ thing after a few missions. As such, he’ll find a spelunking partner without complaint (that’s you), looking at this as an opportunity to both explore and keep an eye out for other Reclaimers. Caves and mines spell disaster in more ways than one, and he’s half-expecting the entire place to come down around their heads, quite literally.

So he’s going first. 76 has ignited his sword to serve as a makeshift torch, and every so often he’ll mark their path with an X gouged into the wall. It’s a little rudimentary, but it’s better than getting turned around in here.

When he hears the water in the distance, he comes to a stop, holding out his hand to make sure the Reclaimer behind him halts as well.]

You hear that?

ii. 3f - phandelver

[Exploring the abandoned centers of activity proves to be much more interesting than wandering through creepy tunnels, and 76 gets right to work looking for anything that might be useful. He’s not at all bothered by the skeletons or evidence of battle, nor is he particularly intimidated by the machinery or the sheer walls of the quarry.

No, he’s entirely interested in sorting through the goods left behind, and he’s fairly curious about what others are coming up with as well.]

Find anything good?

[76, for his part, his holding a bottle. He’s got that 300 year old whiskey and he’s definitely going to drink it. Oh god he’s uncorking it. Someone stop him.]

iii. wildcard

[I’ll do whatever you want. Hit me up on plurk at whitticus.]

I-

[He's about to warn this guy about the weird room until the guy is sniffing a bottle that's like... so gross and dusty that Deku forgets about what he was actually going to tell him.]

Um, are you sure you should drink that?

I'll be fine.

[As if to punctuate that sentiment, he takes a (fairly generous) swig. It sure is alcohol--and not bad, surprisingly. The bottle must have been adequately sealed, though he does wrinkle his nose a little as an automatic reaction to the burn.

See? Fine.]

I'd offer you some but I don't think you're old enough.

Definitely not!

[He'll probably get drunk on accident and it will be comical but today is not that day.]

Are you sure it won't end up being poisonous?

Pretty sure. Tastes fine.

[Truth be told, 76 relies on his own enhancements to protect him from substances that might make other people sick--it takes a lot of any given concoction to really affect him. So, yes, he drinks centuries-old alcohol with impunity.

He's got enough sense to not be inebriated on a mission, however, and he re-corks the bottle, stowing it in his rucksack and turning his attention to the rest of their surroundings.]

Find anything interesting?

Mmm.

[he flips open his notebook.]

Not really. The tunnels don't seem to follow logic when you use them at first but I think I've mapped them out somewhat... but I haven't really found any particular point of interest that they seemed to be trying to divert us from.

There was a room where I heard a screaming sound when I approached a chest. There might be something in there.

[A notebook. This kid has a notebook.

It's kind of cute, and not entirely useless, as evidenced by the fact that the first thing he does is say he's been mapping the tunnels with it. 76 can't be sure how effective it is, given the mine's penchant for turning people around and spitting them out at the start, but it's better than marking the walls.]

You've been busy.

[That much is evident, as is 76's interest. A screaming chest sounds like something he most definitely doesn't want to check out, but it's as good a lead as any.]

Think you can get us back there?

I guess. I mean... at this point we don't know what will and won't be useful. So I figure it's best to cover all of our bases.

[He glances over his notebook. At first he opens his mouth to stutter out something uncertain. Like an "I hope so" or something brimming nervous energy.

But... he has to work on being more confident. He is a bard after all. He's supposed to inspire others.

So he nods.]

Yeah, I think so.

All right. Lead the way.

[He’s got a sword and he’s at your disposal, Deku.]

[See, mining is a great experience and so is finding things, but the whole... mining part of the mining experience really sucks. Mia's got it the same in her head as her sister does-- someone else can do the dirty work, which is why Mia's been tagging along with other people in this venture. She's not even bothered to make it look like she's interested in dirty work, quite content to examine everything in her monk's robes, as if she's advertising her new profession.

Mia's got a keen eye to follow whoever seems to know what they're doing, and 76 sure does seem to-- at least the most out of the current crowd. She isn't expecting the sudden halt, though, jumping just a little bit when 76 holds his hand out, and asks--]

No? What?

[Before she looks around, wondering what it is exactly about the whole place she's supposed to be hearing. There are quite many more sounds than when she was dead, okay.]

[76, on the other hand, is not at all afraid of getting dirty. That might have something to do with the fact that he's covered almost head to toe in armor, but he seems mostly unfazed by their surroundings. He approaches everything with measured caution, so the instant something seems out of place, he's quick to freeze.]

Sounds like water.

[Not out of the question for a cave, but the question is whether they keep going towards it, or change direction.]

Coming from that way.

Yeah?

[Mia knows a whole bunch about law. Tons, even. She doesn't know shit about caves. Which is why she's already on her first few steps to trying to check it out.

It's water, right? Could be interesting. Could be nothing, or could be dangerous, but the important part is. Could be interesting.]

Yeah-- I hear it too. This way, right?

[Oh, good. He's not crazy--that, or maybe she's just trying to make him feel better. 76 knows by now to trust his instincts, however, and after trying to navigate his way through these caves, he'll take the first change of scenery he can get.]

Seems like it. Let's go.

[He's quick to move on, but not so quick as to leave Mia behind. After a few moments, it becomes apparent they're headed in the right direction, because the noise grows louder. He's got his sword out as they approach, just in case. The last thing he wants is to walk right into an ambush.]

Watch your step.

[Mia only gives a hum of acknowledgement and a nod, struck herself by the formations of the mines and the growing sound of water, until--]

Is that a sword?

[This old lookin guy just has a sword with him, nothing takes priority over this. Does her sister know?? Is she aware????]

Yeah.

[He would much rather it be a gun, but he’s not as inept with the blade as he used to be.]

Is that a problem?

What? No-- no.

[Mia, caught off guard, stammers for a second. Why would it be a problem? They're all on the moon and there's a giant space jellyfish on display every day, and now they're in some other planet's mines, the sword is the least of anyone's problems.]

It's fine. My sister would just. Think it's very cool, is all.

[Not that she doesn't, but maybe she's not going to try and convince her only cave guard and local-guy-with-a-sword that she's a dumbass right now.]

[76's first thought is that Mia's sister is someone left behind wherever she came from--and he looks a little sympathetic. LITTLE DOES HE KNOW. Instead of doing the sensible thing and just asking her about it, he decides not to touch on it. Might be a sore spot, for all he knows.]

Wish it felt cool.

[He didn't use a sword back home, and he still feels clumsy with it.]

Takes some getting used to.

I can imagine.

[Everything here is difficult to get used to. But, 76 is being rather receptive, and that prompts Mia to try and gather more information.]

Does that mean you didn't use one wherever you got.. sucked up from? [descriptive.

She ventures the assumption to have a question to ask, attempting to learn more about a fellow reclaimer ~~for case files and future reference.~~]

Had a gun, actually.

[A big one, though he doesn't elaborate on it. It says enough about the kind of weaponry he's accustomed to. Swords are archaic, where he's from, with a few notable exceptions.]

So this has been an adjustment.

Oh. That would be different, wouldn't it.

[And, because she doesn't want to assume anything grim of him, she prompts--]

Law enforcement? Or...

A little different.

[No, nowadays he's a vigilante with a gun, but he recognizes that it's probably not the best thing to say when he's meeting someone for the first time.]

Military.

Ah! I see.

[There's like a half-foreign impulse to say 'thanks for your service' until she remembers that, perhaps, he's not from the same planet as her, either. Well, most likely isn't, considering everyone else.

Distracted from her potential route into awkwardness, she focuses her attention on that water sound they were following.]

It's gotten louder, hasn't it?

[She asks, arms crossed as she peeks around as though somehow that'll get her a better view in these dark caves.]

[For the best, really--76 isn't very good at taking a complement on a good day, and this would be no exception. It's a perfect time for the sound of water to make itself more prominent.]

We're getting closer.

[But it's also getting harder to see. In lieu of a torch, he makes good on his claim that he can set his sword on fire--and sets his sword on fire, splashing light onto the walls around them.]

[Mia does her best not to freak out about the sword thing. It is actually cool, and she does need to be sure by the end of this whole thing that Maya has actually seen there is a sword that lights up in actual fire.]

...Handy trick.

[See? Cool. Smooth as a cucumber.

With the light she can also see there's condensation gathered on the walls-- on some more than others, suggesting the direction of their watersource.]

If we keep following that way, we might find it...

It’s not bad.

[It’s come in more handy than he thought it would, especially given his relative inexperience with the sword. He nods, and takes a few careful steps down the tunnel, his hand tracing along the wall.]

Should be just past here.

[Unless his hearing is playing tricks on him, but it seems the tunnel opens up in a few hundred feet.]

Field Mission 3: Brushing the Sun, Part 1

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