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

[yesorwoof]

[Makima is transcribing this tape the first time around. Fortunately, the names in the conversation are making this very doable. Confirming whether the old man in this Tape #2 is the same as Tape #1 "...Do you have a point?" will be a little hard for Makima but she can do her best. But what's interesting is that of the three people in Tape #2, the italicized "this Zero" does not seem to be using the growling voice changer at the moment, is that correct? The heels... She wondered if there was a feminine person there, the "this Zero", but maybe it was actually just Delta's shoes stepping?

Now she will look for tapes (or other stuff) under the bed, perhaps even sandwiched between the mattress and the wall. And also check these first two tapes for any label.]

[strangerpeople]

[There are a few things Makima can figure out.

First, the old man in tape #2 is, indeed, the same man in tape #1 who asked if he had a point.

Second-the unknown voice in the second tape sounds...distorted. It's not the growling voice changer, but something else. Pitch shifted, essentially.

Also, neither tape have a labeled date. Phooey. Otherwise Makima will find some wall scrolls stuffed behind the bed, but nothing else.]

cw dysmorphia

[yesorwoof]

[These scrolls really are adding to the bizarre college boy feeling, huh.

The pitch shift on Tape #2 "This Zero" leaves her with questions. Is it possible that Tape #2 "This Zero" and Tape #1 "I can save those twins" are the same person? As Tape #1 "I can save those twins" is an unaltered voice?

But for now she's just gonna start taking polaroids. Yet another thing that is a pain with one hand. Maybe she shouldn't be quite so blase. No, she can do it.]

[yesorwoof]

[see here for final haul for clarity on looting the room!]