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

[cancrymods]

Hawawawa—!

[ Medic does indeed get to check her over, mostly because Gerda's way too flustered and confused to stop her. ]

I'm not sick at all! I just– why'd you guys follow me all the way down here?

[mementomoritz]

[With typical Medic efficiency, she's managed to perform a successful vitals check by the time Gerda stops verbally flailing.]

Because we were worried about you! You seemed really upset, and we wanted to make sure nothing bad happened.

[Polite lies who? Never heard of her.]

[crypddyd]

You may be strong, but there are beasts down here who would happily devour you... but why here. This place smells rancid even to me.

[cancrymods]

[ Gerda unhappily averts her eyes. ]

Well, it's... there was someone– uh, something down here that... I guess I forgot about it. Or more like, I made myself forget about it.

[ She shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other. ]

I thought... since I have this power now, maybe I could do something about it.

[mementomoritz]

Oh! [Well, that seems perfectly sensible and fair.]

What is it? Maybe we can help! [Medic, as always, has the energy of a dynamo and the guile of a concussed housecat. The idea that it might be better not to volunteer for something never occurred to her at all.]

[crypddyd]

[... what you think Lion is gonna argue this? He just nods sternly]

If we have the ability to do so...

[cancrymods]

[ More uncomfortable fidgeting. ]

It's... well, it was the girl who used to be in charge here before me. You know, the old Authority. Um... stuff happened, and she turned into a monster and I wasn't strong enough to help her... so all I could do was shut her down here to make sure she didn't hurt anybody.

I thought I could maybe do something now I have this power, but by the time I got down here, she'd already busted out.

[mementomoritz]

Well, I don't know of any way to cure Revenants yet- although I'm always open to experimentation! Unless you just mean stopping them before they can hurt anyone else-

[Wheels are turning...]

...Um. Which way did you say she went, again? [One hand is drifting to her phone. She's suddenly very concerned about how long it's been since any of their other teammates checked in.]

[cancrymods]

[ A shake of the head. ]

No clue. She'd already gotten out way before I managed to get here... and this place is pretty big! So who knows where she is.

[crypddyd]

We should at least confirm her location and try to restrain here again, if not destroy her outright. Leaving a powerful revenant free is never a wise choice. What did she look like?

[mementomoritz]

[Meanwhile, Medic is just frantically texting the groupchat in the background:]

[we found gerda and shes ok but FORMER AUTHORITY IS DOWN HERE AND SHE IS LOOSE
PLS CONFIRM LOCATION AND POSSIBLE THREATS]

[etincelledefierte]

can't come meet you. veil and i are helping sword prehnite and wolfsbane because there's a hydra down the lower path from where we split off. are you absolutely positive that's the former authority because this one's got that same feeling.

[She's normally a grammatically correct texter, but this time it's as fast as she can type before she's got to dodge an attack. She's also not positive that Medic doesn't mean that the Authority is in there with Gerda, Lion, and her.]

[cancrymods]

[ This is the first time she's ever seen Medic look serious... ]

Are you thinking maybe your friends ran into her?

[mementomoritz]

[Medic just. Wordlessly holds up her phone so they can see the screen.]

Did she look like a hydra- kind of scaly, lots of heads?

[SHE MIGHT HAVE LIKED TO BE WRONG THIS ONE TIME, OKAY.]

[cancrymods]

[ Gerda squints at the screen a little uncertainly, then– ]

Whoa! She sure didn't have that many heads last time I checked.

[mementomoritz]

So either they found her, or they found something that might be worse...

[Not a great sign, however you look at it.]

If it is her, what do you want to do?

[cancrymods]

[ Immediately: ] I wanna go help! She's pretty big and mean like this, so I wanna make sure nobody gets in trouble!

[ Then she shifts, her expression turning a little guilty. ]

And, um... if I can... I really wanna tell her I'm sorry.

[mementomoritz]

[Medic smiles.] I think that's worth a try.

[Everyone deserves a little closure, right?]

[Although... she winces.] You, um... you get that we might end up fighting her to- [Some part of her mind, a microscopic fragment of tact as yet undetectable by science, frantically shrieks "DON'T CALL IT DEATH....2! THIS IS A SOLEMN MOMENT, DON'T CALL IT DEATH....2!"] -death, again. [Okay, slightly better.]

If we knew how to cure Revenants, we would, but if we don't have any other way of stopping her... [But then, at least she'd be able to become a new Specter again, eventually.]

[At least she'd get another chance someday.]

[crypddyd]

Even if she can not understand or reply... saying it alone will be good for the heart. We can protect you while you try.

[cancrymods]

It'll be scary, but... I think in a place like this, it's better to be able to start again, right? Even if you have to fight her, it's better than letting her stay stuck like a monster without being able to help.

[ She takes a deep breath and then nods. ]

Let's go help everyone!