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

[autonomousthought]

[Does the lineup match the picture?

She's gonna go poke one no matter what - the one on the far right, or if that's the missing one, then the one third from the right.]

[strangerpeople]

[Yes. However-not that Ritsu would technically know this, but the missing one is the one furthest to the left of that set up in the picture, so.

The one on the far right is pokeable.]

[autonomousthought]

[Okay, poke poke...and if nothing terrible results from poking...

She's gonna try picking it up. Is this a thing she can do?]

[strangerpeople]

[Yes, but.

It's heavy and it might be difficult.]

[autonomousthought]

[Hm. Okay. Probably a bad idea considering her body is barely holding together as is.

It looks dull, yes? Anything happen if she tries to shine it?]

[strangerpeople]

[Nothing happens.




Boooo.]

[autonomousthought]

[Hm okay. She might come back to you, gun thing.

How about we check out that empty spot where it looks like another weapon would be?]

[strangerpeople]

[It's impossible to tell what was even supposed to be here. But, as she does come over to that spot, she'll see a few other things that might be worth checking out.]

[autonomousthought]

[Oho! What do we got here?]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[A pile of giant people inside tree roots.






It's almost like an art installation!]

[autonomousthought]

[...giant people. This seems...mildly disturbing.

Can she make out any details that seem important is it just kinda, look here's a freaky looking mess?]

[strangerpeople]

[Well, one's got a real bushy white beard with a wreath of lightning, one's got green hair, one's...wearing snowflakes, and one is clutching a caduceus and a cap with wings, and another is a woman with no clothing o-

Oh. Oh.]

[autonomousthought]

[.........

She's going to count them.]

[strangerpeople]

[There are nine of them. Enough to make the Nonary Game: Mt. Olympus module.]

[autonomousthought]

[Ohhhh big dislike.

Anything else standing out here, or are we moving on?]

[strangerpeople]

[Moving on! Leave the gods where they lie. Namely because there's no way to move them.]

[autonomousthought]

[Moving along, then! What's the next thing to stand out?]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Well, there's that pretty modern-looking computer that's next to the small curio cabinet.]

[autonomousthought]

[Oho! Hello, her field of expertise.

Is it on? If not, can she boot it up? Can she log in or something?]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[No. No matter what Ritsu tries, it seems it won't let her gain access or even turn it on. Boo. Also it smells like blood. Bleh.





That said, there is something that Ritsu can gain from this contraption.]

[autonomousthought]

[Curse you magic technology, being even beyond her hacking skills.

What can she gain from this?]

[strangerpeople]

[Well, there's a printer. And on that printer, something seems to have been printed recently.

Care to take a look?]

[autonomousthought]

[Absolutely she will. Who's been printing what?]

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[Well, don't mind the stink of blood that comes from this paper, but printed on it is a picture.]

[autonomousthought]

[Hm. She'll have to see if anyone else recognizes this person, she's taking it with her. Do we have anything else interesting here?]