DUNGEON LOG: KEYSTONE SHORE

[phantasmods]

The morning of the 9th, everyone will get a message sent to their communication devices -

Okay, guys! I think we have enough stabilizers to try and get the shoreline stable. If you want to help out, grab your supplies and come on up to the roof!

When characters arrive at the roof, they'll find Top - with a wheeling table full of many copies of the same odd-looking device - the two exploratory drones, and a ramp down off the roof to the ground. (The latter looks a little hastily constructed.)

"Okay," Top says, picking up one of the devices. "Here's the stabilizers. Stick them to walls and stuff - mostly out of the way places where they're not going to get knocked off - and then press the buttons along the side."

They demonstrate, unfolding the set of legs at one end of the device before showing the buttons to anyone who's close enough. "Go ahead and take a couple, especially if you've got one of those space-saving inventories going on, I know there's like four of you with those? Strange got some first aid kits together, too, if you want."

Sure enough, another table nearby has the med kits... As well as traditional paper bag lunches, courtesy of Bottom. Don't question it too much.

"We'll be staying back here to keep track of the stabilization progress and work the drones," Top says, "but don't hesitate to call if you get in trouble! We'll send one of these guys down to get you an evac if you need it."

And with that, you're free to go down the ramp... Or to make for the beach however else you might choose to go.

Comments

[photoshooter]

They can probably crawl up your boots. Aha! Gotcha.

[Prompto removes a tick from his blanket and wraps it back around himself, trotting back over for warm food.]

Don't say I didn't tell you so when you wake up covered in alien bloodsuckers.

[rhododendronhoney]

[A lot of chuckling.] It is, but I want to have enough snacks for everyone as well.

[foolishjustice]

A lot of my powers are from a world that exists overlapped with reality, based on the minds of the public. Certain people have the ability to enter that world, where perception and cognition are more important than actual physics. If it's a common idea in the public consciousness, it's possible in that world.

Normally abilities of that nature don't work in the real world, but this world has magic of its own that works on similar ideas. Everything I learned to do there works here, as well.

[He tilts his head with a grin, and somehow the air around him seems to sparkle despite the lack of any real light source.]

[phantasmods]

[What's that about them not having an attack?

ZZZZAP.]

[phantasmods]

A large shadow passes over their heads - some kind of bird?

Whatever it is, it's gone by the time they look up.

BONUS LOOT

[phantasmods]

[Most of the shiny things this nest has are junk - shards of beach glass, scales from Glitterstone - but there is, in fact...

...A tube of dark purple micro glitter, the plastic casing scratched by its hard life but, thankfully, not leaking sparkles everywhere.]

[byanyother_name]

[On the one hand, Kurama's responsible side wonders if he should be confiscating this for the greater good.

Unfortunately for that hand, Kurama is still a kitsune and there is a lot of potential for hilarity in that tube.]

They seem to share your tastes to a remarkable degree.

[rhododendronhoney]

That's true, too. Nothing worse than maybe a stray cleaning robot running around. [She noticed the knife-Roomba, but thankfully managed to avoid its attentions.]

[rhododendronhoney]

Pidonus! Are you alright? [Cori's further away, but now rushing forwards after seeing that burst of electricity.]

[riderofcharlemagne]

Here's your opportunity to! Well- as long as you would like to, anyways.

[riderofcharlemagne]

Mar 10, Day, Tempest Seacaves

[Perhaps someone less excitable than Astolfo would be better suited for navigating this place- if he were someone calmer and more collected, there wouldn't be such a sizable wind barreling through the caverns.

As annoying as it is to keep having his cape and hair blown back into his face, he continues to gleefuly explore eastwards of the caves, admiring the glowing crystals and dropping a transmitter here and there.]

Isn't this place cool? These crystals are so pretty!

Mar 11, Night, Glitterstone beach

[In the later hours, Astolfo can be found wandering up and down the water's edge, occasionally splashing his feet around when the tide comes to meet him. He looks out onto the ocean, water pooling around his ankles.]

Ah, it'd be so nice to go for a swim right now.

March 11th

[have_hat_will_travel]

... Maaaaybe in slightly safer waters. I'm no Sirene.

[Pidonus had walked, this time, her steps more-or-less audible as she approached Astolfo. Notably, she was still walking in heels despite getting on Violet Evergarden's cse for doing the same thing, even on the loose gravel of the beach.]

[have_hat_will_travel]

NGH!

[Pidonus tenses. Her electricity immunity, thankfully, kicks in to prevent any damage.]

Back! I'm fine! Electricity immunity. Don't get too close, unless you've got the same. Which would be surprising.

Urgh.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Sounds like the work of Devils... And since a lot of you Material Planars already tend to not know the difference, Devils are Lawful Evil, Demons like me are Chaotic Evil. There's also Daemons, who are Neutral Evil. And each one hates the other two.

Seriously, fuck Devils.

[riderofcharlemagne]

Good thing you finally approached him, right? If he was lonely, he was probably waiting for someone like you to come along.

[He chuckles at the image of a tinier Prompto cutting class to play videogames. The youthful pursuit of enjoyment in the now is something he never let go of, and he hopes Prompto hasn't yet either.]

What do you mean those 'were' the days? Did something happen?

[riderofcharlemagne]

Are these waters particularly unsafe?

[Is that even likely to stop him?]

[photoshooter]

Heh. What hasn't happened since then?

[It's a bitterer laugh than it is happy. Prompto offers Mr. Krabs back to Astolfo.]

On the day we were supposed to finally have a peace treaty, the Niflheim Empire attacked our city and killed the king. Noct's dad. Nothing's been the same ever since.

[photoshooter]

Aw, we appreciate it, too! If I don't watch myself, I'm gonna put on more weight than I can afford.

[photoshooter]

[Prompto listens as well as he can, but it's clear some of that goes right over his head.]

So the magic here... makes things real, even if they're just ideas? As long as everyone knows about it? ...Like memes?

[riderofcharlemagne]

[Astolfo swaps back the camera for the crab, giving his newest companion a gentle pat on the helmet when he takes him back into his arms.]

Oh. [That's rough.] Your friends...were they okay?

10th/day, sometime afternoon

[founderinglight]

They're magnificent. Certainly finer than similar deposits on Eos.

[Conversely to the constant wind around Astolfo, Izunia's emotions - almost always under tight control, sometimes shockingly numb - add almost nothing to the wind. Still, he doesn't seem to much mind, his coat pulled closed over his shirt and his scarf trailing in the air. Long as that doesn't attempt to blow free, he doesn't much care.

Seems he's picked up another crystal to toss idly in his hand again.]

March 9, afternoon

[founderinglight]

[Morning, Stone, you know your buddy who you casually fall asleep on at the station all the time?

It's time to return the favor. When Stone wakes up from his digestion nap, there's just. Izunia. Leaned against his side in the sand, fully asleep, a feathered hat low to keep the sun out of his eyes.]

[photoshooter]

Yeah, we weren't in the city when it hapened. Part of the peace treaty they were supposed to sign said Noct had to marry the Oracle, so we were on our way out of the country to go meet her. Lady Lunafreya, the youngest Oracle in history.

[He wakes the camera screen back up to look at the four of them smiling.]

That didn't end up going the way we wanted, either. This picture... it might be the last one I took where we were all happy.

[founderinglight]

I'll still take a handful of ticks over daemons.

[Here's your soup! And Izunia pulls a hot chocolate for himself out afterwards, just holding the steaming mug for now.]

[photoshooter]

Daemon ticks. Uugghh.

[There's a shudder-worthy thought if Prompto's ever had one.]

The daemon spiders were bad enough. And the daemon snakes, and...

[He trails off, thinking of all the daemon people they've killed since leaving Insomnia. Not just MTs, but people they'd known. Ravus. Besithia. Emperor Iedolas himself.]

...Anyway, yeah, they're the worst.