trans_9 | Dungeon Keeper

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Dungeon Keeper

The Tapestry had spoken. Not in words, but in ideas and images, ciphers and cryptic nonsense that had been laboriously deciphered, interrogated with spells and technology, pieced together from scrap. They had led here.

Planet Designation: AST994-III Status: Terrestrial, K-class. Non-sentient life: None. Semi-Sentient Life: None. Sentient Life: None. Water: None. Climate: Desert/barren. Landscape: Rocky crags. Air: Normoxic concentration: 29% oxygen, 60% nitrogen, 3% xenon, 6% trace gases, such as hydrogen, krypton, and argon. Air Pressure: 14.352 pounds per square inch. Sky: Red. Cloudless. Sun: Class A star. Warnings: Information from Tapestry indicates significant underground population. Subsurface information not available. Use caution. Mission: ?

Somewhere down there, an object valuable and vital to the mission lay in wait, something so important that its existence was encoded into the Tapestry itself. Whatever it was, they needed to get it.

The only problem was, how to get in? The subterranean world had no access to the surface, and to physically breach it would not only be prohibitive, but catastrophic to the point of apocalypse to that underground world. Science could not solve this problem; thus, the crew turned to magic. The Tapestry had provided what were, after some analysis, unquestionably teleport coordinates. Five of them, for three people each.

To ensure the crew members were not lost, nor left behind without help, contingent spells were laid upon them, to return them to safety and help should they become injured, or should they find the item.

Without further ado -- with no natives to meet and negotiate with, no further preliminaries to make or plans to be made -- each of the five groups, with their supplies and equipment, were taken to the start.

[OOC: Don't worry too much about posting order. I will jump in where a response from the mysterious sky narrator is needed! Going with this, if you feel you're getting lost or outraced in posting, let me or the group know and we'll slow it down. The explicit purpose of this plot is for everyone to have fun, so please speak up if there's anything anyone can do to make that happen better!]

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The teleport dropped them into what was -- there was no way around this grim acknowledgment -- a tomb. The very depths of a tomb, to be precise. They stood at the base of an immense staircase, though the stairs were too shallow and narrow to be comfortable to a human's stride. It led up to a dais, on which stood two massive statues: dwarves, straight from a fantasy novel, with hammers upraised and shields clasped, as if they were guarding the coffin which rested between them.

A single, large flame lit this massive tomb, constant and bright where it burst up from a large fixture at the base of the coffin. Beyond that, another staircase stretched upwards behind them, presumably towards the rest of the tomb and the exit. It was not lit.

Well Sofia had plundered her share of tombs during her adventure in her homeworld. This would be no different. For now, she pondered if taking the torch would cause something to come out of the tomb or bring the statues to life.

"My sword and my spells are ready, should we need them," she told the others.

Cassie felt like an invader as she looked around the environment in which she and the others with her had been dropped. This was another's resting place... did they have any right to enter? But what would happen if they didn't? They were presumably here for a reason. What should she do?

She nodded in response to the warrior's words. "Thank you. I'm hoping that we won't need to fight, but it's good to know that you're ready," she answered honestly. Should she morph now? In wolf form she could both act as a guide in the darkness and fight if needed, but she was also hesitant to reveal her abilities. Foolish... if they hit trouble then she wouldn't be able to hide what she could do and it would put her as well as her current companions at a disadvantage. Morphing took up precious seconds and that was something that could hurt them in a conflict.

Still, she hesitated. Maybe they wouldn't run into trouble. It was possible at least.

Edited 2012-01-14 02:29 (UTC)

Hawke didn't care much for the particulars of why they were in a tomb and what it was for and who was buried here. It was a mission, and his goal was to get in and out as quickly as possible. Sure, they didn't quite know what they were looking for, but he was confident they'd figure it out soon enough.

Nevermind the fact that he'd been dumped here with two teenaged-looking girls. The one had a sword, at least.

He was predictably silent for the first few moments, hand on his chin, taking in every nook and cranny of the room. When he was satisfied with his observations, he put a hand on his gun.

"The stairs."

A closer investigation of the flame would reveal that there was, in fact, no visible sign of fuel. This was an eternal flame, sustained by a natural gas vent that had been cunningly worked by skilled hands.

That still left the problem of light, given that darkness rapidly descended not far up those stairs.

~~Take Ye Vent~~

"It would appear this isn't moveable," she stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "I may be able to use my fire spell in short bursts, unless we can find a torch somewhere in the upper levels."

Don't...think about it too much. Lost of people left lefts of torches in the dungeons where she came from.

"I do not mind going down first either. The suit of armor and shield should protect me well enough."

Edited 2012-01-14 05:57 (UTC)

"There's nothing else that we can use as light?" Cassie asked nervously, her eyes scanning the area carefully. Noticing nothing, she bit her lip.

Taking a step closer, she eyed the darkness trying to see just how bad it was. Maybe she should go down ahead of the others and morph bat instead? She wasn't sure how the wolf's night vision would fare in that blackness, but a bat could travel even in the darkest areas. But should they really be splitting up or were they better staying together?

"It might be better not to split up just yet," she said slowly. "We don't know what we'll find down there and we'd already be at a disadvantage without being able to see. I might be able to guide us. I can... transform into different animals and some of those fair well in the dark."

Okay, so it was out. Reluctant, but still out. She'd decided to put her faith in these two. "Please don't share that with anyone though."

Edited 2012-01-15 05:23 (UTC)

~~you can't take ye vent~~

"I would like to find a torch, if we can. The stairs seem to be a logical step, but I'd rather not go in blind."

Nevermind the fact that they were going in blind as it was.

"Are you certain?"

To say Hawke didn't put much faith in archaic armor and weaponry was probably an understatement. Cassie, however, gave him pause. If there was one thing he knew, however, it was that they were a three-person team, and he needed to use their strengths to his advantage.

"If you're comfortable doing so, it would be useful."

The only possible place to search for something flammable in this stone mausoleum was within the coffin itself. Possibly some scraps of clothing clung to the bones and beard of the hero entombed within.

Was that a step they wished to take?

Maybe if Sofia had been alone, she would have. But now that she had heard Cassie's talent, it would be most prudent to put them to good use.

"Your secret will be safe with me," she replied. "I will not tell anyone else unless you wish it." She stood a bit behind her. "Can you communicate in your beast forms, or is there some way to tell us what is happening from what we cannot completely see?"

Cassie really didn't want to violate this resting place any more than necessary unless they had to, but she'd probably have agreed if it was truly necessary. That wouldn't stop it from feeling wrong though.

"I'd be willing," Cassie answered. Not necessarily comfortable, but willing. It was hard to feel comfortable with people who were virtual strangers, but she didn't think that these two meant any harm. "I can communicate while transformed. You'll hear my words in your head. Here I'll show you. Give me one second." Before beginning the morph though, she added to Sofia, "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Deciding that bat might be the best bet until they knew exactly what kind of light might be found down there, she moved out of sight of her companions and then the changes began immediately.

She emerged, fully bat now and fluttered near the pair. < I'm the small flying animal. Do you see me? >

Edited 2012-01-15 07:10 (UTC)

While Cassie made use of her apparent special talent, Hawke went to work desecrating graves. With no visible source of fuel for a torch available, he was going to make sure they'd exhausted all possibilities, and that included whatever might be inside the coffin.

When she re-emerged, he gestured to the coffin.

"I can see you. Perhaps we should make sure there isn't anything useful in here before we go. It's possible it might be booby-trapped, so we'll need to be careful."

Edited 2012-01-16 06:05 (UTC)

"I see you as well," Sofia answered, before tossing a look at Hawke. Was he going to--oh.

"Are you sure it was safe to open the tomb?" she asked him in a very matter-of-fact-matter. "From my experience, there might be a mimic chest or a skeleton that might attack."

Edited 2012-01-16 07:57 (UTC)

Sofia had spoken up... just a moment too slow.

As the coffin opened just enough to let light reach inside it, a skeletal hand seized the lip of the lid from inside, then hurled it aside without any obvious effort whatsoever. The lid flew off to the side, crashing to the ground in a cacophony of stone-on-stone that surely ruined any hope or pretense of stealth. The skeleton inside sat up with swift, dramatic purpose. In place of eyes, it had brilliant red sparks inside the sockets of its skull, and wisps of beard still clung to its chin in defiance of al laws of biology and decay. The mighty warhammer that had previously lain across its chest now rose in its hand, sparks crackling along its length as the animated elder swung it impassively at Hawke.

The one best suited to defend a hero or legend from desecration in death, went the philosophy of these dark dwarves, was the hero or legend in question...

Fortunately (somewhat) Sofia was used to such matters and in a near auto response, she already had her sword out, moving her other hand into a spell. Boom was...well it did exactly as it said, and she aimed the center at his hand, hoping to knock the hand off that was swinging the warhammer and stop him before it met Hawke's skull.

For Cassie the situation was a bit more awkward. Not so much because they'd suddenly been attacked from such an unexpected place, although she admittedly wasn't really accustomed to being attacked by skeletons, but because she was already in morph. Finding a place farther from the action, she quickly demorphed and remorphed into a wolf. Hopefully, that would be enough.

Growling, she ran forward and lunged, using her powerful jaws to grab the arm that Sofia was not dealing with and pulling back hard, trying to at least move the dead man away from her companions. < I'm sorry. > Her thought-speech was quiet as she spoke to their attacker. They were the invaders here after all. < We didn't mean to disturb your rest, but we had no choice. Please to return to where you belong. > She didn't know if there was any point in trying to reason with the dead hero, but it had to at least be worth a try. Her grip on the arm never loosened though as she pulled him back as hard as she could.

Edited 2012-01-17 07:15 (UTC)

While that was an excellent thought (ha ha, telepathy puns!), the force animating the corpse had no mind or reason. The ancient dwarf's spirit had long since passed to its final rest, though the magic that moved its body called upon its skill.

Sofia's action had been adequate to deflect the hammer, sparing Hawke a blow, but not enough to disrupt the bindings that tied the undead together. Surprisingly quick, the creature yanked powerfully on the arm in Cassie's jaws, intending to drive her off-balance so that the hammer now descending at her lupine form would strike home all the more effectively.

She couldn't let that happen, if she could. Sofia quickly moved her entire body to stop the hammer, simultaneously casting the Kaclang spell, turning her into a pure heavy and solid metal statue for a few seconds, her hands wrapped around the weapon. Hopefully that would disbalance him, or the hammer would fall on her metal frame.

Unfortunately, it also meant she could not move for a short while.

Cassie saw the blow coming out of the corner of her eye, horror ripping through her as she released her grip on the arm to try to dart out of reach. Shock, gratitude, and worry rushed through her though as Sofia took the blow intended for her.

< Are you okay? > she asked Sofia anxiously as she surveyed their surroundings. It was then that she noticed that the warrior hadn't moved since saving her and that something was off about her scent. It seemed that something had happened to her body, but what had done it? Had it been intentional on Sofia's part or had the skeleton done something to her? She hoped desperately that it was the former and that it was reversible.

Cassie charged at the skeleton, this time grabbing the hammer's handle with her teeth as she tried to rip it from the dead man's iron grip.

Edited 2012-01-22 07:50 (UTC)

The hammer struck the metal statue with a heavy CLANG and a discharge of electricity into it. Luckily the sparking was far less serious than the blow itself, which her spell served to immunize her from harm.

Now why did everyone want to take its hammer?! As the wolf seized its haft, the skeleton reared back to deliver a mighty kick with its sharp bone foot.

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Dungeon Keeper

Group 3: Cassie, Sofia, Hawke

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