The Fifteen Strangers Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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15strangers2023-07-20 09:54 am
strangerpeople) wrote in 15strangers2023-07-20 09:54 am
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!))
no subject
Yeah, about that rest... You DO know their blood and lifeforces are being absorbed by the tree, right? All of us are kiiiiiiiiiinda here to destroy it.
1/2
Wait, that sounds like a bad thing! Are you saying... it's bad?
no subject
Nooo... That can't be! It's the Queen's plant!
no subject
no subject
[ It tilts its head. ]
But huh... I never really thought about it! I'm not really good with all that mortal realm stuff! Well, you know, besides what the shades tell me about!
no subject
Then who's taking care of and harvesting the tree?
no subject
no subject
...All 33 of them? For the past five to six weeks, we were all trapped in a sunken ship. Two or three people died because someone handed out motives each week to try and get people to kill each other. And it usually worked. One victim, one culprit. We were forced to participate in "trials" to figure out the culprit, and if we didn't, then everyone except for the culprit died and were shoved into containment pods.
This was all to help feed the tree quicker.
And yes, while I found enjoyment in watching some of those people die, whoever eats the fruit the tree bears gains immense power.
And you're here, telling me that letting them sleep for who knows how fucking long is okay? Do you honestly that whoever's eating the fruit is going to just leave anyone here just like that? It's not a matter of "if", but "when" you all get killed at this point and that's only IF you let this tree be.
1/2
Hm. That's... that's sure a lot of words you just said there.
[ It wobbles in the air. ]
no subject
[ And it does, or tries, dropping its head and floating right there in place. ]
no subject
[Hermes will attempt to just create and tape a "Kick Me" sign to the back of the sleeping Hypnos.]
[Because you're useless.]