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

[dubiouslychthonic]

Oh, don't worry about me. I haven't been getting a great deal of sleep lately anyhow. [And the diet coke she'd chugged before setting out should help, once the caffeine has a chance to set in properly.]

What do you think, press through to the beach as quickly as possible and then backtrack, or stabilize as much of the caverns as we can on the first pass?

[photoshooter]

I think stabilizing the caverns makes the most sense. If we gotta come through here all the time to get out, we want to make sure the path's not gonna, like, shift out from under us, right?

[He frowns nervously at the tunnel roof above them. Up through those stories of rock, that's where the station is, isn't it? Somewhere on top of them.]

Especially when it'd be literally right out from under us.

[dubiouslychthonic]

Good point. [She's not so concerned about the integrity of the stone; despite the whole "unstable reality" thing, there's nothing that strikes her as unsound about the cave system. The weight of rock above her feels vaguely confining, but not exactly dangerous.] I think some of the others are making for the beach anyway, we'll focus on the branches of the caves.

[photoshooter]

Great! ...Besides, if any place is gonna have awesome treasures hidden away, it's gonna be these caverns. I know these things.

[Granted, his experience would also have that caverns like these are the most likely to have horrible monsters, but he's trying to think positive.]

[dubiouslychthonic]

Let's hope it's better than what's washed up on the beach, anyway. [She grins crookedly.] You know what I found when we first got here? A plate of grilled herdbeast steak and some kind of awful vinegar'd salad. Just sitting there on the sand at the high-tide line, still warm.

[photoshooter]

Whaaaat, that's so weird!

[The image earns an easy laugh.]

I found some plastic containers and a movie--and some bullets, I guess--but nothing like a warm meal. Was the meat any good, at least?

[dubiouslychthonic]

A little well done for my tastes, but you know, when we're talking about meat of unknown provenance, slightly overcooked is probably better than undercooked?

[photoshooter]

And you were worried about me putting magic rock water in my mouth.

[dubiouslychthonic]

[She's momentarily a little taken aback, but then laughs, and lifts a hand in a vague "what can you do?" kind of gesture.] I'm a medic, Prompto, it's more or less my prerogative to unduly concerned about others' wellbeing while stubbornly denying the risks I'm taking myself.

[photoshooter]

We call that a 'mom friend' where I'm from. Though I guess ours is kind of our medic a lot of the time, too.

[He's still teasing and playful, but there's a little wistful melancholy in there, too. He misses the guys.]

[dubiouslychthonic]

[That doesn't quite translate conceptually, but in this context "mom" more or less fits as a common element of how trolls refer to their lusi, so she gets the picture.]

It's a skill set that appeals to meddlers, I think.

[photoshooter]

Ahh, a busybody, huh? That's a fun role in any friend group. That's what it looks like, anyway. I mean, I've never been, I'm always the one that gets sighed over exasperatedly instead.

[dubiouslychthonic]

[Her tone is deadpan, but she's smiling.] Are you really. I never would have guessed.

[photoshooter]

I know. I hide it so well.

[He can kid along, too.]

Bet you draw a lot of people like that, huh?

[dubiouslychthonic]

If I don't personally, my profession tends to sooner or later. Scrapes and bruises are good for business.

[photoshooter]

Mm, true. I guess that's more of a problem when you don't have your own supply of magic potions and stuff. Huh. I should try to be more careful from now on, too.