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

[have_hat_will_travel]

Marck 9th, Day: Glitterstone Beach

[Pidonus didn't pack too much gear beyond her normal items like her sword... Though she did grab the bag lunch, more out of respect to Bottom for the effort than actual need. Then, it was out to work, trying to find a couple locations and get some loot. After a while of this, though, she might be sighted doing something unusual:

Namely, opening a portal in thin air in front of her, when she thinks no one's looking. The focused expression on her face as she sets it up makes it clear this is one of her magics.

Feel free to interrupt her before she steps in with some of the scales.]

March 10th, Day: Skyclimb Cliffs

[Pidonus is, right now, quietly looking at some of the clams, interested...]

These should offer some good loot...

March 9th, Day: Glitterstone Beach

[fantasykiller]

Before you step through that portal, you might want to check yourself for ticks. There's a good chance a few might have hid theselves on you while you were busy gathering scales.

[Touma spoke from personal experience. His earlier attempts at collecting scales had rewarded him with a good handful of brightly colored ticks and slight blood loss. Although he has no idea where her portal connects to, he felt it was important to warn her about the parasites before she accidentally transports them to her room or somewhere else equally as bad inside Keystone Station.]

Re: March 9th, Day: Glitterstone Beach

[have_hat_will_travel]

... Really? Ticks, huh.

It'd be really weird for them to stick on someone like me, but...

[Pidonus quickly proceeds to check herself, which probably gives Touma multiple eyefuls given her usual outfit choice.]

... Wow. These guys are weird if they want my blood...

[fantasykiller]

I don't think ticks are picky about who they attach themselves to. They seemed happy enough snacking on me.

[Touma has seen his fair share of 'unique' outfits and is mostly not fazed by the view she was unintentionally giving him. Mostly. His eyes do wander around for a split-second before focusing back on her face.]

[have_hat_will_travel]

Mm. You're adjusted to people in 'choice' outfits, huh?

[Pidonus, by now, had casually tossed the few ticks she found into the water.]

And that is still odd. My blood doesn't... "Taste" like normal blood, so.

[fantasykiller]

Don't underestimate me! I've endured outfits far more sexy and outrageous than yours!

[Touma is quite proud of this fact.]

Is it odd because you're not human?

[have_hat_will_travel]

... A bit more than that. A demon's blood is... Well, it tastes of the poisons inherent to our environment.

A sentient creature would need to be crazy to willingly consume it for any non-ritualistic purpose.

[fantasykiller]

[He gives her a confused look.]

Sorry, I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to the occult. I have no clue what you mean by your blood tasting like the poisons in our environment. I can barely grasp how this kind of stuff works in my own world, much less wherever you came from.

[have_hat_will_travel]

Mm. Probably better that way. Those rituals aren't something a sane person would want to mess with, after all.

[fantasykiller]

So, is anything going to happen to all those ticks that drank your blood? They're not going to transform into giant versions of themselves or become ridiculously powerful demons, right?

[have_hat_will_travel]

Not unless the ticks know highly elaborate magical rituals.

Why do you ask?

[fantasykiller]

Given how ominous you made drinking demon blood sound, I was afraid it would give the ticks a power-up of some kind. I'm glad to hear that's not the case.

[have_hat_will_travel]

It's more that animals normally reflexively avoid my kind...

March 10

[rhododendronhoney]

[Cori licks her lips a little as she looks at them.] Ooh, I can definitely try and make chowder from those. Or heck, they're big enough just the flesh should work for a meal.

Re: March 10

[have_hat_will_travel]

Oh, right. Clam flesh as a consumable.

I was more interested in what their shells do, personally. Namely: turning bits of dirt into pearls and the shell itself being nice and shiny and saleable to the right people.

Of course, finding the right people's a long-term issue, but...

[rhododendronhoney]

Well, I'd think you'd need them to be alive to do the pearl part...but yeah, I don't think any of us here really have money in the first place. Still, I guess keeping a store somewhere might be useful if we figure out how to get home...

[have_hat_will_travel]

Eh, I figure shopkeeps will start showing up soon enough. The station's our Town, so the mechanics say merchants are an inevitability.

[rhododendronhoney]

[A raised eyebrow.] ...are you sure this place works by those mechanics though?

[have_hat_will_travel]

...

[Pidonus pauses, scratching the back of her head a little.]

Right.

Still. Future trade. That's still possibly a good idea, so.

[rhododendronhoney]

Yeah, and I guess there might be stuff other people grab that we don't have a chance to get ourselves. So there might still be some opportunities for trade. [Cori glances at the clams again.] ...so, if I had a fire, I could just let them clamp shut and then boil them open.

[have_hat_will_travel]

... That's a solution. Though... Hm. The important part's getting the shells and the meat...

[Pidonus starts walking towards one.]

It's not like they have an attack, near as I can tell...

[rhododendronhoney]

[Cori follows carefully.] Watch out they don't clamp down on your hand or something, though...

[phantasmods]

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

ZZZZAP.]

[rhododendronhoney]

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

[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.