"These are very nice caves, to be sure. This seems like a wonderful civilization. In another time, we would want to stay here for quite some time, but we have a vague sense of critical things happening at the surface. We need to go."
Learningto nods "Many questions, many thoughts." She looks at you for a long moment, weighing a decision. "Answers first." She leads you to a long row of perfectly spaced openings, all identical arches. The murals here echo that same shape, arcs of dark and light blues dominating the ceiling. There are mycos standing at each entrance, each making a low humming sound. The pitches seem to waver around each other, changing character as you pass each hummer.
The elder myco stops at one of these entrances. Her respiration is labored-- you gather that this walk, no more than two city blocks in Hearth, has taxed her stamina. "Inside. Guides. Answers." Her shifting body language seems to indicate walking.
Within a few steps, you are plunged into darkness, a cavernous darkness that somehow impedes your natural darkvision. Sounds are muted. Everything seems to be in grayscale.
Ahead of you, a bright blue fuzzy spore dangles before you in the air, beckoning you forward. It leads you down more twisting tunnels. Twice, you see similar travelers with similar blue guides (or just reflections of yourselves from hidden crystals)
Following the barely-lit trail of the wispy spore-light, you cannot help but recall stories of travelers being led astray by enigmatic guides, following a path into death or the fey lands, or fiery hells. Then comes the realization that you have seen and survived most of those things.
You come upon a room with a pale pink wall. In this dim light, you see flat-topped rocks and stalagmites to use as rough chairs. Your wisp alights briefly on these, showing you where to sit.
Others are present in this chamber, facing the pink wall. They take little notice of you; these visitors are more solemn than the crowds you saw outside. Perhaps this is a place of worship?
A few minutes of quiet waiting, bordering on boredom. As your eyes adjust to the strange, oppressive dimness, you see more of the crowd: both young and old, judging from their sizes. Although...can one judge by size? Are only children small in this world of shifting forms?
-a FLASH of pink and blue circles upon the far wall,
sudden, startling after grayscale journeys, reminding your recently dead eyes that colors are life-
and a CRASH of voices like cymbals, a forceful wall of sound,
resonating in your chest, waking your heart from long slumber.
The colored shapes resolve themselves into mycos smeared with bioluminescent dyes. In a shadow-puppet show of massive scale, the interplay of these illuminated bodies and other unmarked dancers make huge characters that cavort against the pale pink wall.
The bubbling words of the recitations make little sense, but you have all witnessed enough stories, in all their varied glory, to recognize a culture's mythos when you see it. The looming shapes of light and shadow tell a story of a prosperous people under the roots of a mighty Elder; these people tended the roots and loved each other, and life was good.
You see the invasion of the Dark from an entirely alien perspective. What is a falling Sky to a race of underdwellers, after all? The mycos' history focuses instead on the horror of the Roots--once mentor and altar,--became a black death as the Elder above withered and died.
The same wispy blue light guides you and others out of the dim tunnels of music, and again you see other travelers taking different routes. Learningto and the small myco that was scampering about earlier are there when you emerge. The humming mycos continue their shifting songs, slowly wending through dissonance and harmony.
Before you have a chance to say anything, Learningto nods and says, "No escape. Roots surrounding. Death."
Qizzlvutz, even with your very isolated upbringing, you would know this old story of the myco race living in a fallen age where you are surrounded by deadly corrupt roots. Sky-talk has been passed down to other Believers like yourself, but it is unknown whether the Sky-world survived the cataclysm that killed this Quiet Elder. I imagine you would be prety excited to not only have a phantom that is from Sky-world, but several companions who seem to be from there as well.
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"So we either tunnel our way out or we kill our way out. This seems vaguely familiar for some reason."
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There... Is no hiding for me anymore...i do not know what we do this time...however i have recalled some old skills i had forgotten about or that had been taken... I am decent at archery. Killing is still my best skill Gabriels tone is louder compared to his quiet whisper from before his death.
Lerningto shakes her head at Samen's and Gabriel's words. "Cannot 'kill' Death. Must..." she is clearly struggling to find a word here in Common, "must life Death instead."
Abnaki staggers a bit as he walks. He was once a well built El, physically fit. Now his muscles have been greatly diminished. Worse yet, his feet seem to be catching on the floor, even when it's perfectly smooth. A close inspection reveals that he is almost sinking into the rock, like molasses. It parts around him, and returns to normal as he moves. Unused to this, he staggers as he moves, leaning heavily on his spear for balance.
"Once, there was fire in my blood. I could have helped us burn a path. Now that cleansing flame is lost to me. Volcano's blessings are lost to me." Abnaki does not despair at this, but it is a somber moment.
"How do we bring life to death? Can you show us?" He really hopes this isn't dark necromancy that they are referring to.
Wiggling towards the group with the white axe still in their grap. [b]please don’t leave all of me there.please return to ground. Cycles.
Freezing abruptly. You said you would help! Moving to what was Kallik and pulling out a bag. They are going to be at the end of the line now. Tugging open the bag and wiggling it over Kallik’s body which is now gone. Safe. Qizzlvutz helps. thank you.
Occasionally looking to Lerningto, dozens of questions ready to bubble out. But now is not the time.
"Kill." "Life," by which I think you mean enliven, it's all the same if it renders the threat inert.
Learningto shrugs in response to Abnaki, the motion expressive in ways none of you can interpret quite yet. "Many generations of peoples. Many jumps, many falls. Very few jumps now. Fear, no bodies, fear gone forever."
A large, frowning myco approaches your group. He is gray-skinned; you see odd bits of pointed metal jutting from his hands and arms. His face is scarred, and seems stuck in one scowling position.
He walks with two guards (or whatever mycos would call them) flanking him, a purpose in his stride that most other mycos lack. He calls out angry barking and coughing sounds that echo down the corridors.
Learningto begins conversing in Blurp with the newcomer in a hushed tone, but he replies loudly. A few from the crowds have started to watch the scene. The newcomer points at each of you with a razor-tipped finger in turn, then expectantly looks at Learningto.
"Hroof Hroofa. Invitation. Feast. For you." Learningto looks at each of you solemnly. "Hroof Hoofa is soldier. Mind full of weapons."
Kallik, there is something about the body language of the approaching elen--the language of violence, the language of the soldier--which immediately puts you on edge. This commander is about to do something foolish to gain the upper hand over these powerful, frightening strangers (your friends)
If you decide to convey this to Qizzlvutz, there is an 80% chance the child will choose to flee (run away) but also encourage your friends to come with --- this would lead to a brief chase scene, and we would see what happens from there
Am I stuck in your head? Sometimes. I can come out? Let me out. Time. Why?
Qizzlvutz is small, brown and woody. Looking more like roots smooshed into an elen form. Craggy in a way that is reminiscent of morel mushrooms, the dark brown ones. Something is colored blue to give an approximation of eyes. Tiny little mushrooms grow all over Qizzlvulz. Dirty fabric hangs around their neck and an equally dirty cloak hangs over their back. I dont trust that one. Can I come out? The others don't know you.
Looking back and forth between the groups, bioluminescent blue never shifting but the whole body moves. Trying. Possible. presentence.
Danger? Yes. But i'll keep you safe if i can get out. Little brown and blue bubbles of gas dribble out but reabsorb silently. Wait. Trying. hurry!
Focusing their blue eyes on Gabriel, Samen, Abnaki. Brown and green gas bubbles out, "Kallik mm..mmetua." Shaking their head and pointing towards the approaching mycos "Danger." What are you doing?
Stepping back into Learningto "adịghị mma." and they start running away
As the young myco struggles to make themselves understood, a few things happen:
Firstly, as they burble Kallik's name, a ghostly apparition of your former colleague, wielding both scowl and axe, briefly pops into existence. She floats alongside the myco called Qizzlvutz, seemingly more annoyed than tormented.
Secondly, Qizzlvutz gets a good look at the approaching myco, the soldier with fingers of splintered metal. Kallik's face goes pale, either in fear or outrage, and Qizzl reacts immediately by running away. Kallik is drawn away with the fleeing little mushroom, down an unfamiliar tunnel.
Samen are annoyed by this development and they take an aggressive posture toward this captain, holding up his staff menacingly. "Go ahead. We'd love to taste your essence too. At least you make sense."
"Well that was... unexpected. Lots of surprises this day." Abnaki says upon seeing Kallik. Not being interested in getting in a fight so soon after being brought back to the world of the living, he feels frustrated. A word bubbles up in his mind. Primal. Base.
F̸͈̓r̸͉̎ì̴̠e̵̙̍ǹ̸̝d̵̥͑s̷̪͘h̸͔̐i̵̹̾p̸̻̓"
Hearth's Chosen told me not to bend minds anymore. But now many of them are dead. This is my peaceful solution. It may be ethically murky, but it's effective.
The pointy myco smiles at Abnaki; his teeth remind you of cactus needles. He puts his arm around you, and makes expansive gestures as he blurble-talks.
Samen, the gist of the conversation seems to be this - he wants to outfit you with the best protective potions and spells they have devised, and send you on your way into the dark branch labyrinth.
Hroof Hroofa also casually mentions this will likely be a suicide mission, despite their best efforts to protect you. It is odd to hear this from someone who is currently treating you as a friend, but then you realize that dying and death have very different connotations in this culture.
"Hmph. When you're freshly raised from the dead, a suicide mission is cheap."
Learningto is limping along beside the long strides of Hroof Hroofa. Catching Samen's words, she says, "No, valuable. Not cheap. Hroof Hoofa only one voice among many. Stay here. Grow here.
After several minutes of walking narrowing tunnels--the crowds much thinner, suddenly--between Learningto's pleas and Hoofa's reassurances, you come to a place where the decorations end. The pinks and greens that had been joyfully painted on the ceiling fades away and stops. Angry faces are carved into the rock here, with pointed symbols that you take to be warnings.
---
Qizzlvutz is here as well, at this foreboding entrance. It is strange that your flight of fear took you here of all places. The ugly place. The corrupted tunnels. The place no one speaks about.
In very old High Ifrit, you see subtle runes across this strange entrance.
Do not unsheathe weapons in this sacred place
Do not cover yourself with shield in this holy place
Rid yourself of all violent magicks before you enter this quiet place
"Feh. Trapped one way or another down here. A rock and a hard place as it were. Although," Abnaki says, stumbling once again as his foot sinks into the stone, "Rocks seem less hard than they used to be. Perhaps this situation is a blessing in disguise? I am just curious to know how much time passed. Do we still have an obligation to fight Gem, so we can finally rally to bring down Moon once and for all? Or is that all ancient history now."
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Why did you run? fear. danger. Ballooning out though the spaces in the roots Qizzlvutz makes their body into. Its an approximation of panicked breathing. Hey! Stop.. where are we? bad place. let me out! danger Let me help then. Thats what I do. I fight dangers Less and less balloons out of the narrow spaces.
There we go. Focus like before. Time Flinching and going completely still. I'm sorry. Focusing on pulling Kallik out on letting her see this place with her own eyes instead of Qizzlvutz's. Maybe the phantom will be calmer. She did recently die and lose her body.
Remaining still, unmoving, which is hard in this place. But not looking helps. Little bead of red appear all over the little myco and their color lightens significantly. Noise down the tunnel. Ignore them. I'll keep you safe.
In the blink of an eye Qizzlvutz is thin and brown again and a solid Kallik stands infront of them. She looks mostly unchanged. Except for the thick red ichor coating her boots and the bottom of her patchwork cloak. Thin red lines dribble from her mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. And the hand she extends towards Qizzlvutz is likewise coated in shiny crimson. Fingers are again long claws that reach over the tiny myco and tug her axe free from their back.
A few drop of red ichor fall on Qizzlvutz but neither seem to notice. Kallik because she quickly grabs the axe and turns to the noise. Ready to attack. And Qizzlvutz because they are staring up in wonder. Kallik is real!
In his gruff, no-nonsense way, Samen translates the carven runes:
Do not unsheathe weapons in this sacred place
Do not cover yourself with shield in this holy place
Rid yourself of all violent magicks before you enter this quiet place
Gabriel startles at the sudden and bloody appearance of Kallik. "Are you actually here? Is this more mushroom magic?"
Gabriel watches, unquestioning whats going on... Just the look of surprise across his face at every, overwhelmed, This is... Odd.. to say the least
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Lowering her axe, "Apparently I am dead."
Tilting her head to the small myco behind her, "I have been in their mind. So I am stuck with them. Supposedly they wanted a dead el in their head."
Swiveling their head and moving to stand next to Kallik. Bronw and blue bubble out of their face. "Phantom. Help move.. Tilting their head, "ready?"
As Kallik manifests into semi-reality, there is a shrieking sound from the dark chambers beyond. After a moment, the blackness of the tunnels begins to fade, leaving a pale gray in its wake.
Samen nods at Kallik. "So you got dragged along into this after all too. Seems like you got the worst of it."
"You're absolutely right, Say-say," says your mouth. "And we certainly know who got the best!" The coy smile looks odd upon Samen's face.
Debatable... i am free Gabriel is still in shock, having lived with the black ichor for some time.
Quickly skittering around to stand infront of Kallik while peering behind her. Tentative steps bring them to stand on their other side. Large blue and brown bubble stream out quickly while they point to the fading darkness. Calling out to Learningto "lee ebe ahu!"
Grumbling, and it sounds like grinding rocks, at Qizzlvtz. But there is not bite to it. Her face shifts quickly from grumpy contentment, to frustration, to pain, and settles back into a near snarl. Glancing over her shoulder, "What is that?" Again the axe is up and she is really to strike.
"The sign says we should go in peacefully. Personally, we're inclined to destroy and eat whatever is in there, but we can restrain ourselves for a time, depending on how things go."
Kallik has made the way clear. Your phantom is very powerful against the Dark!
Learningto is staring in awe as the darkness fades. She says one word that resonates with you. "Blessings..."
You realize that Kallik's spirit must retain some quality of being one of the Blessed. Her phantom emanates a strong anti-Dark presence.
Learningto's expression is a caricature of surprise. This aged myco has not seen a phantom so clearly manifested in decades. It is unheard of to see the dark branches pull back in fear of anything. Who are these beings that Heap has given us?
"Those with Blessings...?" she wonders aloud.