=>[MINI-META] The Catacombs

[ImaginationsParadise]

Once on the cold ground, Cynril hyperventilated. It had to be them, it had to be. Oh God... Did they try to... Kill him? Feeling the cold breeze in the catacombs made made his skin crawl and even more alert.

Cynril took off running, not daring to look back.  

[Doutei]

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10: After a couple of hours, you find that you recognize a crossroads that you've seen before. You've gone in circles.

"Haven't we been here?" Demari asked, after wandering the catacombs with Volkei for what felt like hours. She knew it'd only been a few minutes but that somehow wasn't any more comforting. If they'd completed a circle already that meant they'd really messed up navigating through this place! Flustered, she looked to her swarm for help. Sparklepop conferred with the rest of the swarm and they seemed to speak with Demari before turning to one of the walkways.

"They're going to try something." She translated to her companions. The fish began to swim forward through the air, leaving one fish behind at a time to form a trail. They entrusted Volkei's lusus to protect their charge while they explored. Shimmering flecks of silver sparkled as they flew on. Several minutes passed before a small fish appeared from one of the rounded corners. Demari looked visibly relieved and smiled at the redblood.

"Twinkletip says they found a way out! Let's go!" She grabbed his hand and began to race forward, eager to get out of this place!

Block: Catacombs
Team: Volkei
Obstacles: 1/4
Hazards: 0/3
Items: 5

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Yamashii

 

[Yamashii]

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19: Even in the closed-off tunnels, you feel a stinging cold breeze pass you by.

"Thank you, Twinkle." Volkei shivered but nodded in gratitude towards Demari's swarm. It was cold down here in the catacombs and he wondered why the breeze was so strong. Thank goodness they had managed to find a way out. A troll could go mad trapped down here in this darkness for too long. He squeezed Demari's hand and adjusted his run to match her pace as they hurried out to the moonlight.

"What a strange troll, to have catacombs under their hive." He commented about the mysterious Erilyn. It was kind of creepy. How many trolls lay dead underneath the manor? Was the surge in spiritual activity related to the sheer amount of spirits that might reside beneath the mansion?

Team: Volkei, Demari
Block: Catacombs
Obstacles: 1/4
Hazards: 0/3
Items: 5

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Doutei

 

[Buzzwulf]

Quella Fehtan

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13: As soon as you land in the catacombs, wreckage from the mansion falls on top of you, barring your exit! You're stuck until you can muscle your way out, or get help.

Quella fell heavily, junk pinning the hunter deep into the mud. She lay facedown for a moment, listening for signs of activity before she tried to shift the wreckage off of her. it was hard for the hunter to find purchase in the deep mud of the catacombs, but she managed it with pure brute force. The hunter grunted as she threw the pile of wreckage off of her. It shifted unevenly, splattering into the mud and settling there. The hunter panted like she'd run a marathon, then sat up and began the long, mud-stained trek back to the surface of the mansion.  

[ImaginationsParadise]

Cynril opened his eyes, feeling uneasy by the darkness. His jaw was clenched, his body tensed... When would they leave this torturous hive? He could only think the spirits didn't want them here-- his morail surely didn't want him here. The mutant let out the breath he'd been holding once he got on his feet.

There was a familiar stench that flooded his nostrils, trash. He knew the stench very well. Smart enough, Cynril followed the stench to find his way out.  

[zeflamigo]

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12: Your escape is waylaid by a very angry pack of mildly venomous squeakbeast, whose nest you've fallen directly into. They are large, and angry.

Odette hovered over the nest of angry squeakbeasts, clinging desperately to the wall to avoid contact with the angry creatures. She couldn't bring herself to kill such creatures. It wasn't their fault she had fallen into their nest, and they looked too much like her lusus for her to even consider the thought of harming them.

So, she sheepishly shuffled her way across the wall, avoiding bites from the creatures with some well-timed bursts of wind. Eventually, she had shuffled far enough from the nests that the creatures stopped lunging at her. There, she gingerly stepped down from the wall and smoothed out her dress.

A moment of panic set in. Squeakbeasts were nothing compared to Vidari. Hopefully the greenblood didn't fall with her, but she checked over her shoulder, keeping an eye out for him rather than letting him sneak up on her like before.  

[Hivestuck]

Ill-fated crew in the North Outgrowth:

Once you fall into the catacombs, roll on this table for your results. When you escape through RP, you will end up back outside the hive.

Roll D8:

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1: You hear deep mumbling - some kind of crazed gibberish.
2: In the darkness, you're unable to identify the cold sensation wrapping around your ankle and keeping you pinned to one spot. Unable to move for a few minutes, you're finally able to pull yourself away and run without looking back.
3: In the distance, you see a shadowy figure flitting just out of sight.
4: Feeling pursued, you rush forward as the tunnels begin to collapse behind you. No going back now.
5: There are fascinating patterns in the walls where you trek. It looks like a lightning storm hit this series of tunnels.
6: Some kind of odd sound, like crying, hits your ears. When you turn to hear it again, it's gone.
7: The ground is so smushy that you're up to your ankles in mud. The clay-like substance is caking onto your legs like weights, making your ascent back to the surface painfully slow and exhausting.
8: Notify Sypon for your result!

 

[Doutei]

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7: The ground is so smushy that you're up to your ankles in mud. The clay-like substance is caking onto your legs like weights, making your ascent back to the surface painfully slow and exhausting.

"It's scary to imagine." Demari replied somberly, walking alongside Roa and Volkei while they escorted Kursha through the catacombs. She probably would have done the same. Schrad must have been admired by many before the truth had come out. That kind of reveal was devastating. She knew she couldn't understand the kind of pain that Schrad's closer companions had felt at the news.

"This place... these trolls..." The blueblood looked down at her blood stained dress as she mumbled quietly. Walking through the thick mud felt appropriate. This place was dirty, full of darkness and of death. Truthfully she hadn't known what to expect upon coming here- perhaps a little adventure followed by a party? That'd been stupid of her. The consequences of her actions- her attendance had dawned on her up in that room. She shouldn't have been here. She had no business coming to this place with such naivety. As her swarm floated protectively behind them, Demari placed Kursha's rifle back in his lap before using her free hand to wipe the mixture of blood and tears from her face. The other gripped Volkei tightly.

"Were any of them good people?" The girl asked. One had stolen from the church he belonged to and one had been a serial culler. Demari barely knew anything about the fallen trolls. She wanted to believe in others- she wanted to trust the trolls she'd met today... but with a glance at Kursha, she wondered if her admiration for him and Lorata might go south like those who'd admired Schrad. It was too soon to tell and she felt too confused to properly confront it.

It was heartless to think it but the question hung like a noose in her mind.

Did any of these lingering spirits deserve to rest?  

[Melancholies]

Sarcel honestly hadn't paid any attention to whether Nahori and the rest of them had jumped down before her or not. As she fell--even though it was a rather quick descent--it felt like a lifetime before she finally landed on the bottom. Staring up at the light filtering down from above, she wondered briefly if she was dead. The pain was enough to tell her no, but the disorientation was staggering.

She tried to get up, but all that resulted was a small finger twitch--a curl of her hand. She half expected another knife to come flying down into her chest, but after a few shallow breaths, she finally found herself relaxing. Was she relaxing? Her body felt heavy, both warm and cold at the same time. It felt like relaxing.

Somewhere between it all, her eye had closed shut. She did not sleep, but she scarcely moved save for the rise and fall of her chest.

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mostly a flavor thing so I didn't roll. Sarce is Here and you guys can do with that what you will

 

[T-Kai]

Aconan and Loupsus had ended up at the bottom slightly more intact than everyone else. Loupsus had been gashed by a knife upon his escape, his blood beading and dripping from a gash along his hindquarters. Still, he continued to move down the tunnels, desperate to get his cub and her injured packmates out of there.

Aconan still hung from his jaws, and she was trying to control her tears, but soft hiccoughs echoed through the cavern...but her spongeclots heard someone else, too. A strange, echoing sobbing - not her own, but similair. She looked around, and it was then she caught sight of Sarcel. She wasn't the one crying.....in fact, she wasn't moving.

A wordless denial cry escaped her mouth, and she wriggled free of her lusus' jaws, rushing over to the Lieutenant. She looked around desperately for the other ambulant troll who'd been with them before...what was it...

"Nahori, Caviap --- anyone, please!?!"

She was on her knees next to Sarce when she realised Sarce's chest was moving up and down still, and a sob escaped, this time a relieved one.

"Loupsus, here boy!"

Loupsus doggedly trekked over, looking at Sarce. Leaning in, he sniffed. She didn't smell like death yet, that was good.

Aconan looked at Loupsus, already laden with two trolls, and bit her lip. What to do now? There was no way she could carry Sarce....maybe Charge felt well enough to walk?

"Ah, Charge? Do you think you could walk leaning on Loupsus? The lieutenant...."

Aconan was still crying, but she was determined to get everyone out.  

[zeflamigo]

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6: Some kind of odd sound, like crying, hits your ears. When you turn to hear it again, it's gone.

Odette had left the seance after the other trolls, after the children and military had all made it safely out of harm's way. She was a rush of adrenaline, after that encounter. After all of the sad, awful things she had seen, she'd have to counsel with some trolls back at the swamp. It was too much for the redblood to bare on her own. Thankfully, she wasn't alone in the moment, and she could still help the group.

Despite all of the sadness, Odette was almost impressed with herself. Somehow, she had been the only one to quell the spirit in any capacity. She wondered how that worked like that. Perhaps Captain Vidari would stop scrutinizing her and treating her so poorly after all of this was over. Then again, Odette didn't really care, as long as everyone made it out safely.

"Keep moving! These catacombs are not safe for trolls, either." Odette shouted from the back, keeping up on gusts of wind that propelled her forward. She kept an eye out for the trolls that were the most injured. They needed medical attention the fastest. Odette could keep an eye on the younger trolls, if it came to that decision.

"We have to make our way to the surface. I will assist you all up, if need be!" Odette offered. Her powers were quickly draining, but with the adrenaline still pushing her to continue, she could easily help lift the other trolls to safety.  

[Yamashii]

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2: In the darkness, you're unable to identify the cold sensation wrapping around your ankle and keeping you pinned to one spot. Unable to move for a few minutes, you're finally able to pull yourself away and run without looking back.

"It's okay. Roa can take one more." Volkei patted Aconan's shoulder. It was scary to see the fierce and determined Sarcel so still and quiet but she was still breathing. Kursha and Sarcel's weight combined would be heavy for his lusus but they would be able to continue out of the catacombs at a steady pace, even if a little slow. The catacombs were cold and frightening but appeared to be sturdy without signs of immediate danger. A cold sensation pooled around his ankle and he froze in fear with his breath caught in his chest. After a minute, he hurried towards the fallen lieutenant and the children got to work.

Roa lowered himself to the ground to allow for the blueblood to be pushed and pulled until she was laying over his shoulders with Kursha riding behind her. Hopefully the greenblood would help keep her body from slipping or sliding off.

"Is she going to be okay?" Volkei looked to the captain for answers, his eyes wet from fear but struggling to stay calm. He had never experienced battle before, much less a massacre. Everyone was covered in injuries and blood.

Everyone but him and Demari, he thought to himself guiltily. It was a success on the part of the military, to keep the children safe, but it was a quiet and somber victory parade.  

[saedusk]

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4: Feeling pursued, you rush forward as the tunnels begin to collapse behind you. No going back now.

It didn't seem like the others should've been as far away as they were, wherever they were. Being separated in pitchest black made Nahori's chest tighten like a vice, but she tried to breathe through the feeling. She had Lieutenant Cincil's coat clutched tightly between her hands, a security blanket of the temporary sort. She'd grabbed it before she jumped when she noticed Sarcel hadn't, but it might've been the cause for her losing the others.

"Hello...?" she said occasionally, wondering if she was walking in circles. It was hard to tell. "Is... anyone there?"

That's when she felt it, a strange, watchful presence. Truth be told, it was probably nothing, but the creeping dread of being separated down here forever began to close the walls in around her. Something in the distance crumbled, hit the floor, and echoed. It spooked Nahori and she ran.

Just in time, too. The ceiling began to cave in behind her, falling from a height she couldn't see. She ran until the crashing stopped and even after. She ran until she bumped right into something familiar, a lusus, and she realized there were other trolls here—Aconan, the children, and... Now she could see. Now that there were things around her besides the darkness, her bloodpusher calmed in her chest.

"I... I found you all. Thank goodness... Is everyone- Is the lieutenant?" Nahori looked to where Sarcel had been moved and pursed her lips, then set a hand on the blueblood as she followed along. "S...Sir?"  

[Green Minuet]

Captain Kursha Vidari

The trolls had escaped not a moment too soon. With a low rumble, the remains of the nutrition block collapsed behind them. The way back was blocked beneath a mountain of debris, and the way forward held only darkness. Clinging to the back of the lusus he rode, Kursha let out a cough to clear the dust that invaded his lungs. Spasms of pain rocketed across his lower back. He clenched his teeth to avoid crying out. Even so, he could not avoid the tears that sprang into his eyes. He was thankful for the cover of darkness.

As gently as he could, Kursha eased himself upright and rubbed his hand across his face. Straining his eyes, he peered into the gloom. Though the catacombs were dumb, some trace vestiges of light lent him a visual. He counted forms in the dark, frowning at the final sum. He knew Demari and Volkei had descended with him, so they were accounted for, but who...?

Demari's voice cut through the quiet. Kursha glanced over at her silhouette, trudging alongside the tiger lusus. Or maybe that was Volkei. He squinted, trying to make out the shape of her horns or dress. Nope. Impossible to tell. The shadows played tricks on his eyes.

“Not really,” he replied after a beat. “Though I guess that depends on who you ask. I'm sure Schrad was a damn hero in her own thinkpan. 'Cull the unworthy highbloods' or some nonsense like that. It's not as easy to sum people up into good and...”

He trailed off when he heard Aconan's cries. Beneath him, the muscles of the lusus bunched up. They rushed towards the child's voice, Volkei leading the way. Kursha clung tight to the back of the beast, fingers embedded deep in its fur. His legs dangled uselessly, though each bound racked him with pain. After a couple of seconds they came to a stop, and the lusus dropped into a crouch. A familiar shape appeared over the lusus' back. Grunting, Kursha helped the children to pull the blueblood up the rest of the way. When she was secure (or at least felt like she would not slide off), he leaned back again.

“She'll be fine,” he snapped as the children worried over her. He caught himself too late. Backpedalling, the greenblood forced fake cheer into his voice. “You don't think she got to the rank of lieutenant just by sucking up, do you? I mean, yeah, she's a professional a**-kisser, but she's no pushover. She's seen her fair share of combat. She'll bounce back in no time, promise.”

His words sounded hollow in his own spongeclots. He had no doubt that Sarcel would pull through physically, but... His gaze rested on the the motionless blueblood's silhouette. He half debated pinching her to see if she was awake. It might be funny to make her jolt, but at the same time his sense of humour had run out. They needed to talk, and he did not want to give her the impression that he would be letting her off lightly.

Doutei

Think

Yamashii

I

Melancholies

Got

Saedusk

Every

TanuKyle

One!

 

[DraconicFeline]

She came to very confused and hurting. This was soon followed by dizziness, nausea, and altogether unpleasantness. "Wha...?" she managed, her tongue thick and unweildy in her mouth.

The cavernous place was strange and disorienting - stranger still was the pattern on the walls. So mesmerizing... like lightning. But how? This was underground. How could there be lightning underground?

More to the point... Why was she underground? What was going on? "Where...?" She blinked, trying to sit up. Her body rebelled angrily and she lay back down until she remembered that yes, she was a medic troll, she had medications for this, and it was probably a bad idea not to get up.

She fumbled in her bag awkwardly until she found her injector, fumbled the cap off and, finally, fumbled it into her leg. "Ya... ch...!" she exclaimed, as injector did its injecting and the drugs rushed through her system.

It was a lot easier to stand up after that, though she was a lot more aware of her pain than she wanted to be. "Hello?" she called out, into the darkness. "Anyone there?"

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Fun fact, Psy never got to visit the catacombs.