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

[exequte]

[She leans against him, lightly.]

Thank you, by the way. For everything.

[pegasinister]

For what? Anything I did was simply my nature to do.

[he stops rocking the baby for a moment, glancing down at the eerie white animal "plush". He picks it up to fiddle with as they speak, looking... heavy with thought]

[exequte]

[She smiles at him for that.]

I know.

[Her expression changes, though, when he picks up the animal.]

Hubert... I don't like those things.

[pegasinister]

These are the beasts that were accosting you. The things Roland saw.

[He peers at it, eyes narrowed]

Remind me, what did they tell you before?

[exequte]

I don't really know.

They all spoke as if they shared one mind and were just speaking from many bodies, and it just... picked up again whenever one of them was killed. They knew my name, and said something about a contract....

Other than that....

They said they ship didn't like them, or their raison d'etre. Brain... didn't think that was it, but....

I wondered if they were trying to convince me to sell my soul.

Does that sound dumb to you?

[pegasinister]

Not any stranger than anything else. A contract... do you suppose they are a demon of some sort?

[He tucks the disgusting creature under his arm and stands, peeking in the crib to make sure the baby is deep asleep]

There is something I must ask Alastor.

[exequte]

I don't know.

Alastor couldn't see them when they were talking to me, not until they were dead, anyway. Or, he could see at least one. Most of them, um... their bodies didn't last. They were....

I don't know where they came from, but the ship... ate several of them... one of them seemed like it was struck by lightning....

It was eerie.

[pegasinister]

The ship certainly has some rage against them... but also can not keep them out.

[He starts walking out of the room (lol bye Delta) but is more than happy to keep talking as he goes]

[exequte]

[She gives the cradle one fleeting glance before she turns to leave with him. It's... this is eerie too, everything about this.]

What did you want to ask Alastor?

[pegasinister]

I want to ask what he knows about witches. I discovered something in the alchemy lab before we left the ship that I meant to ask him about- but... well, my drive has been lacking.

[Yeah Bert that's the Depression]

A symbol that I believe may be associated with magic users- witches in my world are women who practice dark magic. I have... a hunch of some sort I am following.

[exequte]

[There is a pause at that.]

You heard what Delta said, I take it?

[pegasinister]

Of course, I was listening.

[exequte]

[She smiles up at him for that, the expression small but genuinely warm.]

Of course.

But then, what does that have to do with.... that thing?

[pegasinister]

If these beasts are offering contracts I wonder if they may be the source of our witch's power. I do not know if that is how witches work, but it would certainly explain the ship destroying them- can not have anyone here gaining similar abilities to counter them.

[exequte]

[Well that's something she hadn't thought of.]

I... guess that's a possibility.

[pegasinister]

Like I said- just a hunch. Likely nothing of note at all. But I can not help but think they are important some how.

...

And it would be enjoyable to have an excuse to destroy them, would it not?

[exequte]

Maybe, but....

I don't think they actually... mind it that much.

Like I said, they didn't seem to hesitate to keep talking to me and....

The trials....

Have you seen them there?

[pegasinister]

No, only heard descriptions after. I have never been close enough to Roland during them outside my-

-well. I was not paying attention at that time.

[exequte]

.... Yes. I wouldn't think you would have....

But...

It seems like some of them die every time. It's like they don't care, though. Or...

I don't know.

I don't know what those creatures are, but they aren't.... They don't seem like anything normal.

[pegasinister]

Well. If any show up I trust you not to give them the time of day. They have a rancid look to them.

[He wrinkles his nose at the stuffed one]

[exequte]

There were several that....

The last trial. When you and Aoi were....

A few of them tried to move. I think... they were trying to come towards me. I guess I was with everyone else, though....

Do you really think they have something to do with this?

[pegasinister]

[He scowls at that- he's not SURPRISED but....]

None of the other beasts and creatures that have appeared here have followed us into the trial room.

[exequte]

I don't know if they followed us. After all, it's not like most of us can see them, not unless we're close enough to Roland... but. It seemed like they were just there. It was kind of creepy. They looked like they were watching a show or something, but... it doesn't seem like their expressions ever change. Like they're some kind of puppet, and not a living creature.

[pegasinister]

If they are not involved it is somehow eerier.

[exequte]

Their eyes glow red.

Maybe... maybe they laid a curse on all of this. Or maybe... they are the curse that was laid.