Gula Intro Log...?

[cancrymods]

GULA

After recovering from the tedium of the time loop and the gruelling fight, the Executors gather their resolve and continue their descent through Purgatory, at last passing through Superbia into the next layer. Feeling peckish? That's an unfortunate side effect of being in Gula, the Gluttony layer of Purgatory. Down here in the third layer of Purgatory, the word on everyone's lips is Gluttony – and that means that nothing here is ever quite enough for you. All during your time in this layer, you'll find that you just can't be sated, no matter how much you eat, drink, sleep – or whatever other itches you need to scratch. However much you take in, you'll find yourself still wanting just that bit... more. Which is going to be pretty hard to do, seeing as how there doesn't actually seem to be anything left in Gula. The shell of a city stands here, all huge blocky buildings and towering skyscrapers but it's clearly been abandoned and worse still, ravaged by time. Plants and trees are growing up through cracks in the pavement, pushing abandoned cars, streetlamps and other fixtures of the city out the way. All the buildings you care to examine are empty, stripped bare of everything not nailed down (or even things that actually were nailed down, going by the condition of some of them) and most notably of all, there are no Specters here at all, no matter how much you look. And if all that weren't ominous enough, your senses as an Executor allow you to pick up something that you might not have noticed otherwise. It's more spiritual than physical and not quite so easy to expalin, but things feel... thin here, as if things were picked clean so thoroughly that part of the world itself was stripped away with it. Something is terribly wrong here. Explore?

Comments

[swordofajerk]

Exactly. So why do you think you can threaten us into doing these pointless errands for you with "I won't let you down into the Undercity"?

[cancrymods]

'cause if you tried to bop me right here and now, I'd bop you back twice as hard! I know how all this being-in-charge stuff works, you know! You guys can't hurt me unless I go all loopy and lose my powers, right?

[swordofajerk]

[. . .

Sword is not actually sure if that's how this works, so he glances to Rei or someone else who does.]

[daughterofthemark]

That is consistent with what we've seen and heard previously.

Moreover, we're friends now.

[discutio]

No, no we're not.

[swordofajerk]

[Phoenix can hear the facepalm.]

[daughterofthemark]

I speak of Lady Gerda and myself.

[cancrymods]

Are we not friends, Phoenix...?

[ SHE SOUNDS LEGITIMATELY HURT... ]

[discutio]

Honestly, I'm more on Sword's side in this. We may not be able to overpower you at present, but that doesn't necessitate our bending to your every whim.

[cancrymods]

Mrgrgr...

[ What a little grumble. ]

It's really not fair... you guys can come and go whenever you like and I can't go anywhere...

[discutio]

...Why is that, exactly? I should think that in possession of an Authority, one would be able to open up whatever paths one pleases in their layer.

[unless.............?]

[cancrymods]

That's exactly why. Since I'm the person in charge of this Layer, I can't leave it, ever.

[discutio]

I'm not sure I understand. What is it that's stopping you?

[...just going to look in etoile's general direction]

I hate that I'm suddenly questioning reality, but we're definitely not in Superbia, correct?

[mementomoritz]

[Medic confirming:] That is entirely possible.

It's unclear if a fully stable Authority is impervious to harm, or just too strong for anything we can do to make a dent- but either way, no previous attempt at attacking them before reaching Revenant status has been successful.

[emberserker]

And I suppose now we know for sure. I do wonder, Authorities' knowledge tends to vary...

[mementomoritz]

Oh, that is a good point- [Turning back to the girl in question.] Do you remember where you learned about how your abilities work, Miss Gerda? Did anyone tell you, or did you find out on your own?

[Anyone like maybe a little birdie with a big sword...]

[cancrymods]

Oh, it was the scary girl with the blindfold and the spooky sword who told me! She passed through once a looooooong time ago and told me all about it. She said something about things being broken all the way down at the bottom and how you guys would probably come through eventually.

She also said I should try and stop you if you wanted to do anything, but I didn't like her! So I won't listen to her.

[swordofajerk]

...spooky sword? What did she look like?

[cancrymods]

Spooky.

[ So helpful... ]

She was super pale and small and... Oh!

[ She points at Rei, who looks very unsettled. ]

She looked just like that girl!

[swordofajerk]

[Staring at Rei.]

Exactly like her?

[daughterofthemark]

Oyo?!

[mementomoritz]

Oh! That's good, we really don't like her either- we've actually been trying to track her down, lately! It's important.

She took some things we want back. [Faint aura of menace, it's fine, it's fine.]

[cancrymods]

If I see her again, I'll bop her for you!

[mementomoritz]

That's nice of you, I think! [Friend... ship???]

[etincelledefierte]

...that's the girl that tried to hurt us. That's her, no doubt about it.