Descent.

[shimmermods]

CHAMBERS.

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You've been down here for such a long time.

It's difficult to tell, perhaps, exactly how long it's been; the lack of need to sleep or eat has become more and more prevalent as time goes by, and it's made it difficult to keep to any sort of schedule - and while the darkness remains unyielding and unchanging, the same can't be said for yourself, now, can it? The further you go, the more it feels like maybe you could belong here; the longer you're within this place, the less it seems to want to let go of you.

It begs the question, really: Is it the mine that's making you feel that way, or is it the Shimmer itself?

Something is different today.

There's a sudden feeling that you've found a chamber, that the shaft you've been wandering down has opened up in a way that's more noticeable than the occasional offshoot leading to an eventual dead end - this feels massive, open in a way that clears the air and spreads out far enough in front of you that it's difficult to tell how far out it actually goes. There are a few promising signs here, however, even if you can't see them very well - the sudden clearing of the air's stagnation is one, but the sound of running water trickling through here somewhere is also promising.

There's also a feeling that should be familiar by now; namely, it's the general sensation that you aren't alone, wherever you are.

You've found something, but perhaps more importantly, you get the feeling that you're coming far closer to your goal than you were on the outside; don't get too excited, though, as you still want to be careful - after all, this chamber opens downward as well as outward.

You can get down to the lower level if you pick your way down; it shouldn't be too challenging, and you'll probably have an easier time seeing once you're down there. Just don't fall.

code by vuvuzela

Comments

[atrueheroine]

[...okay, that....was not what she expected. At all.]

...can someone better with botany than me explain how a tree could grow down here? Without sunlight?

[That question is vaguely rhetorical, but still; is there any way for them to cross the stream to reach the tree?]

[bornandbread]

We've seen trees in strange places before.

[Can't believe SMTree is real. But also it's not out of the question when you've got all these traces of people being here and then Instant Weird Tree Maybe-Not-Sculpture so y'know. He's peeking warily over the river but not really making a move just yet.]

The crystals... maybe. Or something else.

[pr159]

The crystals do seem unnatural themselves. The ones we passed on the way down were unusually smooth compared to the others we've seen, but there wasn't any sort of water source above to account for erosion.

...I mentioned this before, but monsters that disguise themselves as trees are also a thing, so. Again, let's stay on guard.

[bornandbread]

... Ah, a while ago. Back in the first town.

[You people and your living plants and your mine monsters and your dungeons.

Truly unsure if it's more blissful being unaware of what to expect or not at this point.]

They're all unusual. Like the ones we saw where we came from -- they were growing on a tree, too.

[pr159]

Well, yes, I'm taking baseline oddity level into account.

[atrueheroine]

The fact that it is a tree growing somewhere unnatural is what concerns me.

[We....we all know how much the Shimmer loves its trees.]

[bornandbread]

Yeah.

[He really doesn't disagree, it's bad civilization when trees do this; they have probably learned that by now, even if most of them still act like trees.]

Should let the research division at it if we can.

[Assuming it's not going to immediately smite them for crossing its water or something.]

[atrueheroine]

[Well, that's where her and the other (unfortunate) members of the combat team come in...]

Let us head over and secure the area first. But you're right; this seems like something the researchers should handle.

[The creepy tree is ALL YOURS, gang!]

[bornandbread]

The water seems clear. Mostly.

[It's, uh, blingee water, but maybe just a little glitter is fine. We say that but the entire party is going to be covered in glitter along with everyone they come into contact with if this glitter spreads, so.

He makes a vague gesture that's either be careful or get bedazzled but. Helping!]

We'll watch the stuff.

[Jokes on the eve of treegate............]

[abysstery]

[Heinwald's quietly waiting and trying not to appear impatient. He wants to see the weird tree!

In the meantime, he'll hypothesize aloud.]

The Shimmer is likely providing it with the means to grow without sunlight. Plenty of creatures survive in pitch black conditions such as these.

[bornandbread]

[Hey, at least Heinwald is staying put. Between him and Emma and Yusei it's truly a miracle nobody's already halfway up the tree by now (this may be an exaggeration -- maybe). Jean's sticking around so Heinwald can throw theories out all he wants.]

You think it has something to do with the crystals, too? Or it's like us.

[Needing less food as time goes on........]

[abysstery]

[Wow? Like he's going to climb a tree. That's definitely a Yusei thing.]

Both. These crystals are sprouting and eroding from nothing. Our bodies are functioning whether we nourish them or not. Therefore, it should not come as much of a surprise to discover a tree growing without sunlight.

[He still thinks the mostly normal tree was the strangest thing he's seen in a while.]

[planetary_bonds]

[Rude! he hasn't gone climbing trees!

yet!]

[shimmermods]

[That depends on how opposed you are to getting wet.]

[atrueheroine]

[....sigh. At least it's hopefully better than sewer water.]

Cover me. I'm heading over.

[Hopefully you're nearby, fellow combat buddies....anyway. Before Page just. yeets herself into the water, she'll gingerly poke it with her foot. Anything...bad, in terms of reactions? Is it secretly acid?]

[instrumentalized]

[ Well if you want to be the one getting wet first... That's fine. ]

I'll cover. Once you confirm the surroundings, others can follow.

[atrueheroine]

[IT'S...TIME TO GO SWIMMING, SHE SUPPOSES....]

Thanks. If I get eaten by some kind of river monster, don't follow.

[...

she's only half-joking.]

[instrumentalized]

[ Page!!

He'll laugh, though, because taking it as a full joke diffuses the situation and defusing? That's what they need. ]

Wise advice, though I am planning to put a lot of bullet in any monsters before they get you.

[shimmermods]

[The water is...water, actually. Very shiny water, but it seems to be just water.

You can probably get across without having to full-out swim, unless you really want to; walking should be possible, if inconvenient.

...Also it isn't full of piranha or anything, just for reference.]

[atrueheroine]

[Oh boy....here we go, then. With the (comforting) knowledge that Garma is covering her back, Page wades into the water and starts to awkwardly walk across.]

It's fine. Cold, but fine.

[Will anything stand out to her, that would make her not want to get out onto the opposite bank? Otherwise, she'll...keep on moving, until she's there. The sooner they can get the researchers to the Weird Tree, the better.]

[shimmermods]

[You're good, actually. The tree is...being a tree over there and just kind of existing at you. Do you want to take a closer look?]

[atrueheroine]

[Lovely, now she's soaked from the waist down. Anyway...

....yes, let's. One more look at that tree before she gives the go-ahead for the others to join her. Any obvious threats, or can we summon the non-combatants?]

[crestological]

...I suppose if we don't find anything too terrifying, we might be able to do laundry...

[please. holy shit. please.

...also, he doesn't want to go too far away from the group, but is there a visible source, or is there more stream to follow?]

[shimmermods]

[There is a whole bunch of stream happening here, basically.]

[crestological]

[Hm. Well, he'll see about suggesting following it once we're done with Horrible Eye Tree.]