The Fifteen Strangers Mods (
strangerpeople) wrote in
15strangers2023-07-20 09:54 am
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
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.

[Once you enter, the investigation shall begin.
Good luck.]
((OoC: And here are team assignments!))

EVIDENCE
Because. Yup.
Cerberus, the guard dog of the underworld, is awake and very distressed. :(]
no subject
Hey, c'mere a sec. There's a Cerberus in here.
[The dragon's claws and fangs aren't likely to work any better, but he does take a bottle of water out of a makeshift saddlebag and take a deep breath.]
This is probably going to get me smacked across the room, so...pray I don't spill any on myself.
[Because yes, he's about to pour some holy water on the roots.]
no subject
It appears that, like Hades, Cerberus is entrapped in his own little perpetual feedback system-his ichor is feeding the roots. He's not going to get free.
There must be another way to calm him down, though...]
no subject
Alastor, is that Holy Water?!
[BRITAIN WAS MOSTLY CATHOLIC IN HIS DAY HE FUCKING KNOWS THAT'S A BAD IDEA]
Stop, you fool!
no subject
These seem to be able to recover so fast that they don't even care, though. We're gonna have to do something else, I'm pretty sure he can feel the tree feeding on him.
no subject
[Sorry, with Moriarty's full memories unlocked, he is now Mother Hen Mode. Enjoy.]
Graah....I'm not even certain my own abilities could help in this circumstance, given the vines are directly feeding off of the divine, nor do I wish to accidentally injure the pet of a God of the Underworld.
...Perhaps all we can do is help the poor soul feel more at ease for the time being.
no subject
[He scratches lightly at his chest, as though reminded of a discomfort there.]
But I think you're right. I could tap into my weapon's full power, but it'd risk hurting the Cerberus too. Unless you think your portals can get the poor guy out of there, comfort is all we can offer.
[If he can, he'll reach through and offer a pat on...whichever head will move to accept it.]
no subject
It doesn't know you. No pets from you. B<]
no subject
Think he'd feel a bit better with something to eat?
no subject
no subject
no subject
It's still a very sad doggo. :<]
no subject
[Looking around...is there anything that looks like it might provide a proper distraction to a huge dog?]
no subject
There's some movement at the blood pool at the far end of the room.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
2/2 EVIDENCE
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
2/2
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
1/2
2/2
no subject
Hey,There'sSomeFish InTheFridgeDo- Wait,WhatAreYouDoing?
[That bottle in Alastor's hand... could it be what Roland used? Hermes will try to stop Alastor by picking him up and putting him back down a few feet away.]
The roots will kill you!
no subject
no subject
...But why didn't it work?
[Hermes gets a good look at the entrapped beast.]
...Is... is that Sir, Burr, and Risk all fused into one being...?
no subject
[THE DEVS OF YOUR GAME, MAN.]
no subject
That's kiiiiinda weird, but I think I can see the appeal in a three-headed version of them. Still, do they unfuse whenever they all want to go do their own thing?
no subject
[Which is kinda awful for the puppos, but it is what it is.]
no subject
And the tree just backhanded Roland both times he used holy water. I don't think it's enough of a threat to provoke a serious attack.
no subject
[He sighs.]
I was more worried about you, you idiotic devil. You'd have the equivalent of a severe burn if it'd spilled on you, would you not?
no subject
But seriously, I'm not some low-tier devil that can be wiped out with a single splash. Stronger devils have more tolerance to it.
no subject
no subject