FINAL INVESTIGATION

[strangerpeople]

FINAL INVESTIGATION


[Fifteen X-Passes. Six weeks. Freedom at last.



But it's not the end. Of course it's not. There are questions to answer, and souls to save. And now that the group is outside, they can see where they are.

They are inside a massive cavern, illuminated in an eerie green light, standing on a stone path. On one side is the ship-or rather, a massive, ship-shaped tangle of bloody branches, the trunk-like roots snaking out and into the river its buoyed on, as well as into the ceiling of stalactites. Said river is wine dark, but it's clearly not water. No-it is blood.

And on the other side of their little pathway? A root-encrusted palace. It sits over a labyrinthine city, bathed in emerald, and all is eerily silent save for some sounds coming from within the castle. It's clear the infestation somehow started here. And it is here that answers are likely to be found.

The doors are right in front of the group-and they are already open, covered in branches. From the outside, it seems little more than a ruin. Once everyone goes in, though?




It's even worse. The tree has taken over. Whatever lives here is no longer in charge. There's no easy way to disentangle the Qilphoth from this place. But there is life here, somehow. You can see figures entangled within the roots as you explore. And-they are still, somehow, alive. More than alive. They are beings that bleed ichor instead of blood-beings of incredible divinity and power. They are gods. And they are hostage to the tree, forever and ever, trapped in induced ennui, unless something is done.


So welcome, Strangers, to the House of Hades.]







[Once you enter, the investigation shall begin.


Good luck.]



((OoC: And here are team assignments!))

Comments

AREA 1

[strangerpeople]

[pegasinister]

[Well, seeing the dead is nice and all but eventually searching for the tree's heart has to take priority. So off we go!]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Sounds good!





So you come to what looks like a blast shelter door. On it is a sign: WARNING, DO NOT OPEN WITHOUT PERMISSION.



>Enter?]

[pegasinister]

[yeah]

[strangerpeople]

[And it enters into....a bedroom?]

[pegasinister]

...

[He.... really wants this room for himself. That desk/table front and center looks promising tho!]

EVIDENCE

[15unknowns]

[Might be a bit hard to steal that desk, considering someone is sitting in the chair, hands folded placidly across his lap and legs folded.]

Well. Hubert von Vestra.

We meet again.

[pegasinister]

[Well, now we know why he was assigned to this team huh?]

Indeed we do. I wish I could say I am surprised, but we both know that is not true.

[15unknowns]

Indeed.

Well, don't let me impede you-but, mind the noise you make. Stressing her out with loud noises would be unwise.

[pegasinister]

Ah. Is she resting then? I will be quiet.

[He even closes the door softly behind him before... continuing on his exploration around Delta with no further hassle! Huh.]

[15unknowns]

Mm. See for yourself.

[Casually leans back.]

[pegasinister]

[He goes to do just that, heading towards the bed]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Well, the baby's not on the bed, but there is something there: a book.]

[pegasinister]

Dante. That same name as Alastor's 'friend'.

[he flips through it, oh, pictures!]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

Dante. Named after the poet, Dante Alighieri.

[Indeed!

One of the images has been cut out, or at least the majority of it has been.]

[pegasinister]

I see. He certainly doesn't seem as much a poet as his name sake.

[He glances at the art around the missing one- is the work similar to any of the posters?]

[strangerpeople]

[No. However, there is a piece of art that will immediately catch Hubert's attention.]

[exequte]

...?

Hubert?

[She'd caught the tail end of that, even if she hadn't seen who he was talking to.]

[pegasinister]

[Through the door]

I'm fine, Akane. I will not stop you from coming inside but it may be... unpleasant for you.

And I ask you be quiet if you do. No yelling.

[exequte]

[Well. THAT makes her curious. So she'll open the door enough to slip in silently, looking around herself as she closes it behind her.]

[pegasinister]

[He's not surprised, and he steps aside so she can see, well, motherfucking Delta just sitting there before he moves on to continue exploring without a care of having that man at his back]

[exequte]

[Interesting.

She studies him with only an expression of mild interest, not seeming alarmed.]

Were you Zero after all?

[She really... seems to be studying him intently as opposed to reacting in the way that one might expect someone like her would.]

[pegasinister]

Me? Flames no. I am just a tool, as always.

[exequte]

[She just smiles, the expression amused amused, and shakes her head, pointing at Delta.]

AREA CLEAR

[strangerpeople]