Gula Underside Log

[cancrymods]

GULA DUNGEON LOG

As you make the now familiar descent, the screeches and chatterings of the Underside's inhabitants swim up to meet you alongside a suffocating wall of heat. The Gula Underside unfolds itself before you in jewel colours and sweltering heat. In stark contrast to the Rusted City stripped bare and the sterile Undercity, the Gluttony Underside is bursting with life - and danger. This densely packed rainforest spills out in all directions like a natural maze and you're going to have to pull out all the stops to find Gerda before something else does - or before it finds you.

THE UNDERSIDE

♪♫ Floating -Liquidly- – Sakuzyo The jungle is thickly clustered with huge palm trees rising to form an almost impassable canopy that only opens out occasionally when branches shift or when the wind blows, revealing the dim green light of the Underside's sickly looking sky. As you look up, you occasionally see the shadows of Revenants (or at least you HOPE they're Revenants) darting around high above your head. The ground is blanketed in luscious undergrowth that feels soft underfoot - loamy moss, tangled patches of grass, leaves. Occasionally, the uneven ground gives way to puddles of water or patches of loose, sloppy mud that you're forced to wade your way through if you want to proceed. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the jungle is so dense that you're never not within reaching distance of a sturdy tree or rock you can use to steady yourself. Somewhere in this place is Gerda and your way further down into Purgatory. Let's hope you can make your way through unscathed. AREAS OF INTEREST Due to the sheer scale of this Underside, explorations will proceed slightly differently. The Executors will be split into three teams – two to explore the Underside itself and the third being the team assigned to this layer's Boss Combat. Please see below for your role assignments. ⚝ NORTHBOUND: The Executors exploring the north are Medic, Etoile, Lion, Chiron and Veil. ⚝ SOUTHBOUND: The Executors exploring the south are Rei, Genius, Mona, Achilles, Ariel and Phoenix. ⚝ THE WATERING HOLE: Boss Combat volunteers, report! HAZARDS ⚝ Dense Wood: The overgrowth of the jungle and the tightly packed trees mean there are very few wide open spaces as you make your way through. For those of you who rely on your eyeballs, this means visibility is hampered - and that Revenants could ambush you if you're not on high alert! Uneven Footing: Given how wild the terrain here is, you might find that it's a bit hard to get stable footing when you're running to and fro here. Some of this is varied elevation but a lot of it is varied textures too. Stumble too close to anywhere with running water and you'll be slipping and sliding all up and down the Underside! ⚝ Revenant Types Present: Charles, Minturno

Comments

QUESTIONS & INVESTIGATION REQUESTS

[cancrymods]

North - Medic, Etoile, Lion, Chiron and Veil

[cancrymods]

The north path through the Gula Underside leads you stomping through twisting paths that snake through the trees, gradually sloping upwards up some sort of hill. The earth is exceptionally dry here, with most of the ground-level plants having shrivelled up and died thanks to lack of moisture. Heat strong enough to sting your faces radiates up from the ground and frequently, your feet break through the fragile surface layer of dirt as you make your way through the jungle.

Eventually, you come to a break in the trees. You can see that a new path splinters away from the one you've been taking, down and away from the slope. The trees are even thicker than the rest of the jungle, here, and though it's hard to see anything, you think you can hear the rush of running water. But the path you've been taking has been quiet and reliable so far, and when you squint, you can see that you're not far from what looks to be a flat plateau of sorts that will give you a good birds eye view of the Underside.

How do you proceed?

[etincelledefierte]

Are we all in one piece so far?

[Etoile is here, for once. She's been quiet, exceptionally so, ever since the last Underside fight, and she's still relatively quiet now. She's spent most of her time training, stopping only to sleep and eat, then training again.

She'll talk, eventually, but for now she's sticking close to the pack.]

[daughterofthemark]

I am unhurt.

[Physically, anyway. If Veil tried to claim she wasn't at least a little distressed about the whole situation with Gerda, it'd be an especially obvious lie.

She's handling the conditions pretty well though!]

[mementomoritz]

Yep! And if anyone isn't, I'm ready to fix that. [It's been a rough couple days, but nothing can diminish Medic's enthusiasm for providing safe and effective medical care.]

[Nothing.]

[She is concerned about Gerda, though- and on that note, she's also using her sensory powers to survey the area and keep an eye out for her, at least as far out as her range can go. Which isn't very far, but will hopefully be enough to keep them from walking face-first into a hungry Revenant.]

[Anything interesting that she'd pick up on?]

[cancrymods]

Her sensory powers are pretty reliably good for keeping them from getting pounced at least, so the squad have been spared that at least. She's also getting regular pings from the others, as is to be expected, but aside from the usual blips that come from the occupants of an Underside, nothing is standing out as particularly sus just yet.

[etincelledefierte]

Okay. As long as we're all in one piece so far.

[She pauses, taking a long look around.]

...I'm sorry. For not being as helpful this time around. I didn't realize just how shaken up I'd gotten after everything that happened last layer. It's not an excuse for pulling away from everyone.

[daughterofthemark]

...sometimes that's simply how things are.

[Hm, Veil didn't seem to do much in Avaritia.]

Did it help you, at least?

[schardynfreude]

That undercity wasn't pleasant, in spite of everything. It pulled at...something inside. And several of us remembered or experienced some rather unpleasant things. We should consider ourselves lucky that things were rather laid back.

[He frowns and reaches up to dab the sweat from his brow.] We might as well keep going up. Looks like we'll have a vantage point; we might see something that the others can't catch. Get the lay of the land.

South - Rei, Genius, Mona, Achilles, Ariel and Phoenix

[cancrymods]

The south path through the Gula Underside is a muggy, muddy slog through a sloppy swampy riverbed. While the water only comes up to knee height on even the smallest Executor, it's still a deeply unpleasant trip - the water is slimy and stagnant and it absolutely reeks. With the mud being as thick as it is, your mobility is somewhat hampered and you're constantly slipping about, slowing your progress.

You do eventually reach a fork in the road. To your left, the path continues on, the river branching off into spidery streams until it cuts through a small clearing in the trees where, just beyond, you can see the murky waters of the river disappear into a dark cave opening.

To your right, however, is a narrow, twisted path that leads off into the jungle. It's barely discernible against the foliage but it looks like it might lead upwards rather than downwards. The jungle gets more densely packed this way, though.

How do you proceed?

[twibeast]

[ He takes one look at this water

One look at their group

Before sighing and transforming back into his beast form. He’s been doing a bit of practice with it since he finally transformed back before, and so now it’s a lot easier to just go back and forth. ]

This may go easier if some of you get on.

[ Rei gets shot gun ]

[discutio]

[A deep, long-suffering sigh.]

You can just say it, I won't be hurt.

[or, 'how bad is it' in other words]

[twibeast]

Not just you, I assure you. If I could fit all of us on my back it would probably be better, but that may not be possible even for a beast like me.

[ He lowers his heads for a closer look and is full of regret immediately at the smell. ]

…It’s a river. I can’t tell yet how far it goes and it doesn’t seem too deep, but it could be slippery and - for you and the smaller of us - a bit difficult to deal with.

[ And also stinky. But you can probably tell that yourself. ]

[phantasmagorial]

I could see if I could freeze the surface of the water enough for us to walk on top of it...? I don't know how long it'd last with how hot it is out here, but it's worth a try.

[ ... of course, she's carefully making her way up onto dog dad's back even as she says that. this place STINKS ]

[seasharp]

You think that'll work?

[...well, that's what she says.

What Rei hears is more of a muffled mess because Ariel is holding her cape over her mouth and nose to try to block the smell.]

[discutio]

It's not the worst idea.

[just hopping up behind rei because the footing here is terrible.]

Achilles, are you alright with this?

[twibeast]

I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. It's no problem, this form may as well be useful for something - besides cuddling and napping of course.

[ dogdad don't flirt while you're in the damn dungeon. ]

If anyone else wants on, be quick - we shouldn't linger long.

BOSS COMBAT ENCOUNTER (Sword, Wolfsbane, Prehnite)

[cancrymods]

As you make your way through the Gula Underside, a strange sort of electric quiet seems to have wrapped itself around you. The usual screeches of Revenats and other noises of the jungle are absent, replaced by a strange sound - a low grumbling, a promise of thunder that doesn't quite make its way up to being the real thing. The heat of the jungle is oppressive, heavy, and the air is thick with the smell of scorched earth and... burnt meat.

Eventually, the loamy earth gives way to looser, wetter mud as you make your way to some sort of huge watering hole. You can tell it's not very deep from here, but it's wide, about sixty feet across in all directions. And stood at the very center, waist deep in the cool, dark water is...

A girl? At least from this distance, it looks like a girl. She has her back to you, so it's hard to tell who she is, but...

Approach?

[swordofajerk]

[Sword cannot believe he's on a team with Wolfsbane but whatever. She can put out the damage, even if it might hit other people. Hopefully Medic's within helping distance.

They reach the watering hole, and Sword puts an arm out to stop the other two (or at least Prehnite).]

Wait.

[ourtomorrow]

[ Prehnite halts when asked, peering to see what has Sword -

Ah.

He keeps his voice low. He didn't know the Authority as well as some of the other Executors, so he doesn't quite trust his ability to recognize her from behind. ]

Is it Gerda?

[emberserker]

[Between Sword and the jungle messing up her clothes, Wolfsbane has been in a bad mood all day, but she looks forward. Hmm... She contemplates preparing a spell, but instead just hangs back.]

I can't tell from here.

[swordofajerk]

Prehnite, do you have any spells or anything that can be used at range?

[He knows Wolfsbane does so he's not asking.]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Prehnite shakes his head. ] Not this distance. But I can fly.

[ So he can close distances quickly, if needed later. ]

[emberserker]

Well, if all goes poorly...

[She puts out a hand; a magic circle draws itself on the ground between them and the mystery girl, then vanishes after a moment.]

Do try not to step there.

[swordofajerk]

Understood. Both of you, get ready.

[And so Sword takes a few steps forward (and around the fireball trap) as he calls out:]

Gerda?