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

[crypddyd]

[Lion notices that Medic is having trouble with his long stride and instead of slowing down for long just waits a moment for her then picks her up. This is way easier in the long run]

[etincelledefierte]

[Etoile just watches Lion pick Medic up and run off with her, and she gives Veil's hand a squeeze as she does. After a minute, she speaks, quiet as it is:]

- I'm sorry. I trained and trained in the other layers this time, so I wouldn't panic when I got down here. And what do I do, but panic anyway. I just heard the words "you failed" echoing in my head, and I couldn't think straight. I'm sorry.

[daughterofthemark]

You've nothing for which to apologize.

[Veil gives her hand a squeeze back.]

Has it subsided?

[etincelledefierte]

I don't know. I think it's -

[she takes a deep breath.]

- I think it's starting to? I'll feel a lot better when we find Chiron, though.

[daughterofthemark]

Then we'll find him.

[Veil gives her hand another quick squeeze, followed by a slight tug to lead Etoile off in a direction.]

Do you suppose palm trees are named after the palm of one's hand?

[While she also attempts to lead Etoile's thoughts off in a direction.]

[cancrymods]

[ The girls are holding hands!!! 😳

Gay shit aside, what are they keeping an eye out for as they progress further? ]

[daughterofthemark]

[Veil is... well, a lot of her attention is on making sure Etoile is all right, but she's also looking for any sign of non-plant life (...you know what I mean). Ideally non-plant form in the form of Gerda, Chiron, or both, but just about anything will probably be worth paying attention to in her mind.]

[etincelledefierte]

[Etoile's been slowly but surely getting control over her panic, and she nods once she's able to stop her arms from shaking. She'll be looking for anything or anyone that's standing out, particularly if it seems like a person.]

[cancrymods]

[ Well, you can't see anyone... but that sure does sound like some yelling in the distance...? ]

[daughterofthemark]

[That sounds important. Veil nods to Etoile and immediately leads her off yell-ward.

It can be hard to tell, but is it a familiar-sounding yell, by any chance?]

[cancrymods]

[ It sounds like...

Sword, Wolfsbane and Prehnite...? ]

[etincelledefierte]

…we need to get down there and help out. It sounds like they need it.

[daughterofthemark]

I agree. Let us make haste.

[cancrymods]

[ And off they trot! Assuming they're heading opposite of Etoile and Veil, what is it they're looking out for? ]

[mementomoritz]

[Ideally, Chiron.]

[More likely, trouble.]

[In either case, Medic has accepted her fate of being scooped and has scrambled up to perch comfortably on Lion's shoulder, using this convenient tall vantage point to survey the surrounding landscape with her actual eyes as well as her powers.]

[cancrymods]

It's hard to pick anything out in their surroundings – they've ended up in a grove of colourful flowers which are very pretty to look at but the visual noise they contribute make it near impossible to get a bead on anything. Medic's powers ping on... something though. It doesn't feel like an Executor or a Revenant, but it's a snag in her powers nevertheless. And... doesn't that sickly sweet meaty smell seem familiar?

It's coming from the north west and they'll have to slosh through a small river to follow it as closely as they can.

[mementomoritz]

[Quietly murmuring in Lion's ear, since she's sitting on his shoulder already:]

I can feel something that way- [She points north west, towards whatever this is.] -across the river. It doesn't really feel like an Executor or a Revenant, but it's definitely something...

[She trails off, and sniffs slightly.] Do you smell something?

[crypddyd]

[He turns their course the direction she points- even if it's not Chiron it's likely what TOOK him]

Yes. Rot. Dead things sitting in the sun.

[cancrymods]

Un(?)fortunately for them both, it seems like they're heading in the right direction, given that the festering smell is getting stronger and stronger as they follow Medic's lead. It's... not a great smell, I shouldn't have to tell you!!

As they walk, however, something catches in the sickly sunlight in an odd way. The way it reflects makes it look like something metallic in the undergrowth.

[mementomoritz]

Huh, what's this...? [Medic is just going to lean down as far as she can without falling off of Lion's shoulder and squint at this metal thing.]

[What is it?]

[cancrymods]

It's a door. One of a pair of double doors set into the ground, as if leading to some sort of basement or lower level. The smell of rot is eyewateringly strong, but if you dare to peek inside, you'll see a set of stairs leading lower down. It isn't quite the same as the stairs leading further down into Purgatory but it feels... sinister.

[crypddyd]

[he kneels so she can see, opening the door a bit with his lance. Thankfully his taste-blindness makes the smell much less potent for him]

It reeks of a butchery. I suppose we should be glad we are the ones that found this.

[ they are both pretty immune to gore after all]

[mementomoritz]

[Yeah, between his military experience and her enthusiasm for dissection, odds are there's not many inside bits they haven't seen become outside bits.]

[Medic lightly hops off his shoulder, figuring that if they're going down there it's probably best to make sure they're both free to maneuver.]

Mm-hm! I think... it reminds me a little of the meat locker in the kitchen back in Gula. We never did get very far into that one...

[She stands up and dusts off her hands.] Well! There's only one way to find out more, right?

[Down we go, into Meat Hole: Part Two.]

1/2 | cw: implied cannibalism, gore

[cancrymods]

[ I probably don't have to say this again, but... it fucking stinks down here!

Though perhaps that's not a surprise when you get down here and see what the place actually looks like. It's surprisingly cold in huge contrast to the rest of the Underside and you realize that's because this is some kind of... meat locker.

It's dank and gray down here and the walls are lined end to end with chunky meat hooks, each one stained with old pneuma. The floor is gritty and you can tell without looking that it's probably coated with pneuma too.

The scene is so bizarre, that it takes you a moment to realize that you're not the only ones here. ]

[cancrymods]

[ Gerda jumps up with a startled 'oyo!' as the two of them make their way down and she whips around to face them – then looks visibly relieved. ]

It's you guys...!