DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

[phantasmods]

The shadows are starting to grow very long as you crest his particular ridge - it's not night yet, but it will be soon. In the shadows of the afternoon, with a tall mountain already blocking the sun, lies a snow-covered valley that is different from the ones you've come across thus far in your investigation.

This valley is home to a town, and unlike all the settlements you've seen so far - Incendia, the Telovia mining town, and the manor - it's very much active. There are actual people in the streets, visible from above, going through their days on snow-free streets, bundled up against the cold.

Those of you who asked were told of the handful of people who didn't go into the slumber of stasis as the Fissure conditions of the world grew worse and worse, instead isolating themselves and trying to continue living their lives as they could. Now, it seems, you've found exactly such a group.

Welcome to the Bellmare Enclave, and enjoy your stay.

[[OOC: Welcome to part 2 of the dungeon! For the most part, interaction with the town's NPCs can be handwaved as described on the main information post. Worth noting are the following major things: The Bellmare Enclave isn't expecting visitors, though the people are generally friendly to the new arrivals. They don't know about the time dilation effect of their Fissure - to them, it's only been about eighteen years since the Slumber Plan was put in place and they withdrew from the world. And finally, by a similar token, they have no idea how far the Fissures outside of their own have grown - while it's not uncommon for them to find odd objects from time to time, they'll assume that the characters are just arrivals from other places within their own world, rather than outsiders, until told otherwise.]]

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

I haven't said to anyone about a hundred fucking years, god damn. [Even he didn't really uh realize this.] Haven't said anything about any of the time...thing. [Honestly that one's mostly because he was too busy internally screaming about the possibility of missing time to want to bring it up. Yay, trauma!]

But she's right. Could be worse. Incendia makes like its namesake every night and then reverts back to how it was that morning, every day, on a loop. One place took away at random a sense, or like, kept you from speaking, all of that. One turned people into mermaids! That was a fine how-do-you-do.

[is any of this helping]

[burninglight]

[Ardyn sighed quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation at the situation more than anything else.]

The point being, tempoal displacement is firmly on the safer end of the scale of Fissure effects we’ve seen.

[bellmarians]

I suppose not. But– you said you'd developed some sort of way to stabilize Fissures? Is that why you came here to begin with?

[burninglight]

Yes and no. We’re looking for...essentially a contributing factor to the issue at hand. There’s something in need of our help, and it pointed us in this direction.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[That's Church perking up.] Yeah! That, yeah, okay, okay, if you know of like...a cave somewhere up in the mountains? Something...powerful that might be there, we definitely need to figure out where that is...

[bellmarians]

[ She visibly tenses, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. ]

Why do you ask?

[burninglight]

That's the place we were shown--the two of us, and one other that's not here at the moment. We came here in search of it.

...Is there something wrong?

[motherfucking_ghost]

It's really...it's really important that we find it. We want to help it.

[bellmarians]

[ Seonil doesn't say anything, for a long and pretty telling moment. But then; ]

How do you know there's something in the mountains?

[ This is the second time, now, she's answered a question with a question. ]

[burninglight]

...

[Ardyn frowned slightly, watching Seonil so carefully as to almost be looking through her--scanning for some flaw in the poker face or clue to her thoughts and intentions.]

We had a brief encounter with it in the last Fissure we traveled to. It showed us that location itself, and seemed to be seeking help. If it's not there, then something it wants us to find is.

[motherfucking_ghost]

[Church, meanwhile, looks like he's about to say more, but...glances to Ardyn and settles a bit back in his seat, waiting to see where this will go. Politicking is not his thing.]

[bellmarians]

[ She's been keeping her expression carefully guarded but that gets a look of genuine surprise out of her. ]

Hold on... you encountered it? As in, it managed to speak to you? It actually managed to tell you to come here?

[burninglight]

'Speaking' is pushing the definition, but essentially yes.

Why? What is it you know that we don't?

[bellmarians]

You're not the only ones who've... spoken to it, let's say. I haven't, personally, but we have a handful of people in the Enclave who've manifested mind-reading powers, or some sort of... telepathic emotional sensitivity.

They've been able to pick up its presence fairly often but trying to communicate has been pretty painful for both parties. How did you even manage it?

[burninglight]

[Under his breath, glancing to Church:]

...didn't say it was easy.

[motherfucking_ghost]

...Some of us in our group has kind of what you're describing. Ability to sense magic, a little bit telepathic, a little bit empathic, a little bit overall generally psychic and/or sensitive to weird shit. And those people have, on occasion, gotten into contact with some...thing. This force, essence, thing. Scared of us cuz, so sayeth those who've managed this, someone or some people broke off part of it. [He hesitates, discomfort clear as a bell.] Fragmented it. [He quickly moves on from that.] And that the Fissures that touch other dimensions are likely its doing, trying to find its missing piece.

But like Ardyn said, last Fissure, some of us found a...like just a big honkin' giant crystal embedded in the basement, real spooky shit, and touching it allowed this contact, whether you're sensitive to it or not. Same kinda reaction, scared but willing to try with a lot of reassurance. It showed us a mountain. Something deep in a tall snowy peak. We don't know if that's where this being is or what, but it wants us to find this place, and here's our best bet.

Looks like we were right.

Listen. [He leans in, hand partway reaching across the table for emphasis.] This thing, this whatever it is, it's in pain. It may or may not be what's causing all of this to start with. It doesn't really do words, more just uh...emotions and impressions, so we can't just talk to it--god knows we still try, though. We want to help. We want to help fix--we--[the wording seems to be tripping him up a little] It's hurt, and it's desperate, and we want to help put it back together and heal it. However we can.

You'd want to, too, right?

[bellmarians]

[ Seonil's poker face has been pretty solid this whole time, but now she's suddenly impossible to read. She takes off her glasses again and scrubs her hand over her eyes, sitting there for a moment with her face tipped down and away from the group. It's clear as day that she's turning this over in her head, but it's impossible to tell exactly what she might be thinking. ]

... I don't think you really get just what you're asking me. Meligan, our mountain, it's... for me to let outsiders in there, for whatever reason... it's like sacrilidge. And even putting all that aside, I have no idea what could be down there.

[ She gives a shaky sigh. ]

Are you at least... reasonably sure you'll know what to do when you get down there?

[burninglight]

I can't say I'm entirely certain, but we're not about to go running around destroying the place. We're more cautious than we look.

[He looked to Lin and Phi, tilting his head slightly.]

Think you can help us keep everyone in check for that much?

[plentyfriendly]

I can do that.

[It's probably not even going to be as difficult or risky as previous caution-requiring ventures.]

[bellmarians]

... If I let you do this, then you can't tell any of the townsfolk where you're going. Do you understand? This has to be kept as quiet as possible. I can provide you transport deeper into the mountains and I can take you as close as I feel comfortable getting, but after that, I'll have to leave you be.

Will your whole group be following?

[motherfucking_ghost]

As many as are interested in seeing this through, anyway. But I'd bank on most everyone.

...We could...trim that number back. If that makes it easier?

[fistsofchange]

We're not the most organized bunch.

[bellmarians]

I'm sure it wouldn't be appropriate for me to comment.

[ That means she totally agrees, though. ]

I can provide transport for a number of you, but if the rest of your group wishes to follow, they may have to arrange their own way there. Unless...

[ Then she looks a little thoughtful. ]

Do any of you have experience with sledding?

[burninglight]

I am already not sure I like where this is going.

[fistsofchange]

Not really but I'd love to learn!