Henri got the clearing, looking around for the flyers for a moment, then tries to strike a nonchalant pose against a rock. But, being Henri, he bores of the pose quickly and starts searching the area for tracks. Maybe the others already went ahead.
Finding nothing, the others find him looking quite bored. He falls for Nissa's gag completely, then gives her a wry smile when she says she's joking.
Charles's suggestion about getting in the cave before security comes looking for them again is timely. You can hear the whirr of drones buzzing around. They're looking for you.
The sword thrums, but it doesn't thrum any louder when Charles enters the cave.
The cave entrance is low but the ground descends rapidly opening up into a cavern 20 ft. long, 15 ft. wide, and 15 ft. high.
The walls are covered with painted drawings and text.
The English says, "Surrender to Gaia in body and soul. Give to Gaia all you have of yourself and she will nurture a part of herself within you. Make yourself a vessel for Gaia a vessel for Gaia a vessel and she will reward you become you use you. surrender to Gaia. surrender."
It goes on like that covering much of the cavern. There are other caverns beyond this one, but looking in them reveals the same.
There are also drawing that look somewhat like those Dr. Moore left behind on his chalkboard. It would take a Culture check to get anything from it.
Charles slow down as they enter the cavern, their eyes needing no light to see. They growl at the rambling messages on the walls. "It seems someone went a bit crazy before being consumed," they comment.
But the most important thing is the portal. They search through the area, looking for any pools or the like that might be one, paying attention to the reactions of the Sword.
"Damn rakshasa propaganda", Theo spits.
Dr. Moore's 'lab', a library of important fiction in various genres, remains visible on the same floor where Henri stayed at Boston Theoretical. The walls are glass. Large antique chalkboards were covered in drawings like these. Henri would have seen them if he looked around the floor he stayed on.
Charles slow down as they enter the cavern, their eyes needing no light to see. They growl at the rambling messages on the walls. "It seems someone went a bit crazy before being consumed," they comment.
But the most important thing is the portal. They search through the area, looking for any pools or the like that might be one, paying attention to the reactions of the Sword.
[dice=Perception]1d20+10
Charles' doesn't see any running water inside the caves. He could hear some when he landed; he heard loud rushing water. His sword becomes less responsive the deeper he goes in the three caves.
Charles turn back towards the entrance with another low growl. They reach up with their free forepaw and slash across one of the iterations of 'surrender to Gaia' with their claws, gouging the stone.
"The portal isn't in the caves," they state. "But it's close by, probably wherever that water we heard on the way in was."
"Nissa, if we could ask you, your smaller form is probably best suited to scouting. Could you find the water, particularly any places it pools? That seems most the most likely spot, and we'd rather avoid more of those drones if we can help it."
Nissa replies, “Sure. Point me in the right direction and I’ll move about!”
She changes to her fairy form, and contemplates a course for a smaller-sized self, if need be.
Henri offers what help he can from his recollection of the maps he studied earlier.
There's a small clearing. A faded old sign intended for hikers points to the cave entrance with another arrow indicating the waterfall. A newer, shinier sign reminds you this is private property.
Charles, Nissa, and Henri stand in front of the sign pointing to the waterfall, scratching their heads and wondering where the sound of water is coming from.
Nissa makes her move in fairy form, hoping her tininess compensates for her glowiness!
Charles hadn't noticed the waterfall sign the first time around, and now they think it best to wait in the cave and see if Nissa spots any drones about before coming out.
Drones buzz through the woods looking for intruders, some claiming to be government agents.
Slipping past the drones, Nissa finds her way to the waterfall. It's not far from the cave entrance and is barely more than a foot wide stream of water, forming a pool on the ground before running off the trail and losing itself down the side of the mountain.
On the rocks surrounding the stream are carvings in the rock, triangles and circles and intersecting lines spread across a 10 ft. square area in and around the waterfall.
There are no drones visible at the moment, but they're combing the area.
Nissa flits along until she is where the water pools. She maintains a safe distance from both drones and yet-to-be-seen snakeheads.
Once she’s in a place where she can safely revert to humanish, she whispers into the comm, “I’ll guide you…”
Bits of memory guide Charles' steps as they try to avoid attention. The lack of jungle cover makes it more difficult, as does the fact that they are in armor, but they make a decent attempt at stealth.
Henri follows the others, thinking to create a distraction if necessary. He is pretty sure he can outrun the drones. Until then, he tries to avoid notice.
A drone passes over Charles' heads but it doesn't seem to spot him or, if it does, files him as wildlife.
Theo, Henri, Charles, and Nissa stand before a thin waterfall that flows over a 10 ft square rock face covered in lines intersecting circles, connecting them to other circles, each with their own smaller spheres in orbit around them. The carvings look old, but also look like those "Doctor" Moore left behind on his chalkboard. Moore's were part of an attempt to find his way home to World V.
Charles' sword vibrates audibly as he approaches. The vibrations echo off the wall more loudly than they should.
"Well, this certainly seems like the spot," Charles comment.
"We may get attacked as soon as we open the portal," they add. "Everyone ready?"
Their third head contributes only a growl to the conversation.
Nissa tries to sound confident, but her “Ready… ish!” is maybe a little too honest.
She takes a look at Moore’s marking and, well…
…that guy always was kind of a nut. Nissa is pretty sure his shapes have a meaning, but what?
Henri stops to look at the symbols, unsure why they look familiar.
”Where have I seen this before?”
Nissa tries to sound confident, but her “Ready… ish!” is maybe a little too honest.
She takes a look at Moore’s marking and, well…
[dice=Culture]d20+11+d6…that guy always was kind of a nut. Nissa is pretty sure his shapes have a meaning, but what?
Nissa's pretty sure she's seen symbols like these in a 70s documentary one of her instructors showed clips of while talking about the documentary's influence on sci-fi. The documentary was called something like 'Map of the Heavens' and claimed that either angels or aliens left markings like these around the world while humanity was still in its infancy.
Also, Dr. Moore had some marks like this on his chalkboard. He was trying to use them to get home.
Henri stops to look at the symbols, unsure why they look familiar.
[dice=Culture]1d20 + 7
”Where have I seen this before?”
Charles has seen pictures of these in an article debunking the 'Map of the Heavens' theory that claimed angels or aliens left markings like these around the world. A researcher had shown that these drawings traced the movement of planets barely visible to the naked eye and that the commonalities around the world were because the planets move the same way for everyone. Not everyone was convinced.
Also, Dr. Moore had some marks like this on his chalkboard.
"Well, this certainly seems like the spot," Charles comment.
"We may get attacked as soon as we open the portal," they add. "Everyone ready?"
Their third head contributes only a growl to the conversation.
The sword is almost jumping from its holster in excitement.
Henri stops to look at the symbols, unsure why they look familiar.
[dice=Culture]1d20 + 7
”Where have I seen this before?”
Charles has seen pictures of these in an article debunking the 'Map of the Heavens' theory that claimed angels or aliens left markings like these around the world. A researcher had shown that these drawings traced the movement of planets barely visible to the naked eye and that the commonalities around the world were because the planets move the same way for everyone. Not everyone was convinced.
Also, Dr. Moore had some marks like this on his chalkboard.
Charles draws the Sword of Truth and holds it over the water.
"If there aren't any last-minute objections..." they say. They pause for just a moment, then plunge the blade into the pool.
As the blade plunges into the water, the writing on the wall bursts with white light, the kind you see when activating a gate with the Wand. The light spreads, encompassing the entire area of the wall, the waterfall, and the small pool at its base.
Through the light, you can make out indistinct shapes, shadow and light, something moving.
With the Angel Sword drawn, The Olympian enters the event horizon.
Henri offers a hand for Nissa and prepares to follow the godling.
The Olympian steps through the gate and emerges surrounded by plants on the other side. It was a bit different than travelling by the Wand ... less chaotic ... none of the discomfort that made it challenging to keep your meal down at first.
Henri steps through a moment later. Looking up, Henri sees that a huge glass dome surrounds these plants. You can only see the top, but it must be 100 ft. in diameter.
Your feet are wet. You are standing in a shallow pool.
Charles waits for all of the others to go through, uncertain what would happen to this side of the portal if they went through with the Sword, before stepping through themself.
Henri offers a hand for Nissa and prepares to follow the godling.
Nissa offers a gun, and takes Henri’s hand as she steps through (with a gun in her other hand).
Nissa notices a ball of light hovering at the top of the dome. It's casting light in spectrums intended to mimic sunlight, but it's a pale imitation of the real thing.
Charles steps through, the gate closes around him. He's standing with the others in a shallow pool 10 ft. in diameter.
A tipped over chair rests just outside of the pool. Charles recognizes it as well.
The plants surrounding you are mostly of a kind you might find in a jungle.
Charles are wary as they step through, tension clear in their stance as all three heads sweep their surroundings, expecting an attack.
Nissa doesn't see it. Theo doesn't see it. Charles and Henri do. Charles has seen them before.
A sliver of light separates from the side of the pool and swims straight towards Nissa. The light has shape and that shape is reptilian.
Nissa would barely have time to react even if she does see it.
As Nissa studies her reflection in the pool, Charles and Henri have one chance to stop a potential disaster.
Theo's sword is now thrumming as well.
"Oh shi┬!" Theo blurts out, as The Angel Sword has never reacted this way. "This ain't good!"
Charles roars a challenge as they try to interpose themself between Nissa and what's coming and slash at it with their free forepaw.
The sliver of light is pierced on Charles' claws for a moment before it drips back into the pool and dissipates.
"Okay, kids! Let's get out of the pool! Those eggs look like they're about to hatch!" Theo says as he tries to find the way out for the group.
Henri points, "There's something in the undergrowth, over there. I haven't spotted it yet, but it's moving fast, whatever it is."
Nissa says to the others, “Tight formation—I can slow ’em!”
She dashes back, and if others move far enough from the water, she runs a circle around them—
—and steps through without burning herself!