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

[superstylishsquid]

I've got you!

[He's going to put the holy water bottle down at the edge of the pool and grab hold of one of those hands to pull. If any more roots become visible, he'll cut those away too.]

[godspiousjasper]

[ He'd come just to see how things were going but is close enough when those hands suddenly came from that pool of blood.

Alastor has his literal hands full here so he raced forwards to grab that other hand. Going to pull as much as he can. ]

Here! Let's get them out of there!

1/2

[strangerpeople]

[The hands immediately grab on with a vice grip, and the person underneath is pulled out, covered in blood.

Their face emerges from the pool, and-]

2/2 EVIDENCE

[not_a_lego_maniac]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

[Immediately Zack Prince, the One, is pulled from the pool, alive.



And very clearly shaking and traumatized.]

Can't breathe...can't m-move...

[countingme]

Oh!! There you are!

[ The sheep was... asleep on the sofa nearby. Turns out floating down the hall got a little too taxing.

Now it floats up, bobbing happily. ]

What were you doing? You're not supposed to stay in there, you know!

[ Oh you. Silly! ]

[hatesdeerstalkers]

....So he is, indeed, Zagreus?

[TIME FOR MORIARTY TO JUST DROP THAT NUGGET HE'S BEEN HOLDING ONTO, I GUESS]

[superstylishsquid]

[Going to pull him onto dry ground, hefting an arm over his shoulders to support Zack's weight.]

It's alright, you're out of the pool. You can breathe now.

[Then, looking at the sheep.]

He didn't have much choice, there were roots holding him down there.

[not_a_lego_maniac]

Wh—Zag what?

I-is that a talking sheep…???

[godspiousjasper]

[ He moved to kneel down next to Zack on his other side, grabbing one of those towels Hermes had tossed over. ]

It's okay, Zack. Just take a moment to breathe, okay?

[ Then he looks over to Moriarty, pausing a little Had he just heard that name right? ]

...Zagreus? I've never heard that name before... what makes you say that this is him?

[superstylishsquid]

I have, but it's...pretty obscure. A son of Persephone and...the later myths say Hades, though earlier ones said he was a son of Zeus who was dismembered by Titans and reborn as an underworld god, alongside Dionyses being born from his heart.

[hatesdeerstalkers]

Because the sheep there - or, should I say, Hypnos - was looking for him shortly before Aoi appeared on our side.

[He's casual about it, but he remembers what the sheep did during the breakout, and he's confident in his theory.]

Think, if you will, upon his name, Zack Prince.

[somuchshipping]

[Hypnos...? Hermes will eye the sheep with some disdain over where he's at.]

[godspiousjasper]

...With what Alastor said... and the fact he was so hard to kill...

[ That and while the others were those blob-like things? Zack still looked like himself. Who he had been told was someone named Hypnos had also seemingly been looking for Zack too.. ]

Zack... Prince... Zagreus! It sounds similar enough.

[superstylishsquid]

Either version of the myth would name him the son of a king. In other words, a prince.

[This whole thing feels...weird. Talking about someone some myths have called his son, thinking about the possibility that...there might be another Zeus here. The man in Hades' chair, after all, is absolutely not the Hades he once knew.

...He hopes the other Zeus also doesn't match certain darker elements of the legends, or else he might have to punch him.]

[not_a_lego_maniac]

I...what?

[He'll take the towels, but as the moments go by, the blood seems to get absorbed, somehow, by him.]

But--that's utter nonsense. I've never heard of a name like...Zagris? And my parents are named Tom and Melinda...



[Also he looks. Very confused.]

[countingme]

Huh?

No, your name is Zagreus! Prince Zagreus! You're my frie--

[ It sounds a little distressed, drifting up towards Zack, looking up with its big, golden eyes. ]

You've got lots of friends down here who'd tell you that!

Well... if they weren't all napping they would! Maybe seeing some of them would jog your memory? Wow, those roots really did a number on you, huh?

[countingme]

[ The sheep jolts, then proceeds to chuckle, one might even say nervously. ]

No, haven't you heard Kaito? I'm Fluffles...

[somuchshipping]

[Hmmm...]

...Then it's a very good thing you're Fluffles then! Thanatos can hang out with me instead of just some loser!

[Nope, not doing this because he's secretly jealous of his own Hypnos no sirree!]

[countingme]

[ Towards Zack: ]

Did you try pullin' them off you...?

Well, nevermind! You're back! Welcome back!

[ To Alastor: ]

Hey thanks for helping out!

[superstylishsquid]

I think they had his hands. But, sure. I was worried about him myself, and besides...I promised Charon.

[countingme]

[ There's a little pause. ]

W-wow!

[ It sounds a bit... choked up, maybe? But goes on more cheerfully. ]

I'm glad he's got more people who can understand him!

[superstylishsquid]

Not the words, at least not yet, but it's not that hard to get the gist of what he means.

...Then again, I guess I am pretty used to people whose speech is limited to specific sounds.

[countingme]

All I know is most people find it really tough to communicate with him! I don't really see it. Sure, he doesn't say much, but I never have any trouble!

Are you some sort of god?

[superstylishsquid]

I'm...something called a demon-god. A devil with strong enough power over important aspects of the world that we might as well be gods as far as mortals are concerned.

[somuchshipping]

[Hermes takes a brief moment away from Cerberus to go and fetch some towels to dry Zack off with, and tosses them over to Alastor. OKAY NOW RETURNING TO THE DOG.]