Invidia Underside Log

[cancrymods]

INVIDIA DUNGEON LOG

For the Executors who've travelled down to an Underside before, today's trip isn't out of the ordinary. But for those of you new to all this... well, buckle up because it's a bit of a ride. Though the cold green light makes it hard to see, if you squint through the glare, you'll spot a wide, steep staircase leading down from the fissure into the light below. As you descend, it feels for a frightening moment as though you might be walking blind but eventually the light gives way to the sight of the Invidia Underside waiting a great distance below you. By some trick of perspective or just wonky Purgatory logic, however, it seems to take hardly any time for you to descend the stairs and set foot in the Invidia Underside.

THE UNDERSIDE

♪♫ Lyx – Sakuzyo The only saving grace of the Invidia Underside is that its layout and structure is more or less the same as Invidia itself. Some of the paths have turned a little twisty and there are buildings here and there that have gone missing, but if you can navigate your way around Invidia then you can more or less find your way around the Underside. The atmosphere on the other hand is where things really start to feel different. Where Invidia is bustling with life, the Underside is just as quiet in contrast. Some sounds filter down from the city above but they sound not just distant but muffled, too. This, coupled with the eerie green light that illuminates the city from above gives the feeling of being trapped at the bottom of some sort of lake or seabed. But more notable than all that is the screens that usually blast Esme content into everyone's eyeballs. Down here in the Underside, all of the screens are either apparently dead or displaying looped clips from TV talk shows, vlogs, movies and the like starring a person none of you have ever seen before. They have a vague similarity to Esme, but they're clearly not the same person. There's a shine to them and a sense of authenticity that was missing from everyone's least favorite Envy Authority that just feels... correct. If Esme was some kind of counterfeit then this is undoubtedly the original. There are no clips of Esme – or any sort of media with her at all, in fact – anywhere to be found in the Invidia Underside. AREAS OF INTEREST ⚝ Park: The park seems to have fallen victim to the same odd spatial distortions at play in many other places in Purgatory. While from the outside it doesn't seem that much bigger than it was originally, once you actually enter the park you'll find that it stretches on far enough that you can't quite see all the way to the other end, not helped at all by the fact that the area seems to have become fogged over, thickly enough to make it hard to detect the presence of Revenants here. Usually, the glowing trees would be enough to guide you through, but thanks to the presence and occasional outbreaks of violence of the Revenants, the trees are looking, uh... a little busted. Many of them have been gouged or even completely uprooted from the ground with wires spilling messily out and all over the ground. And... the less said about whatever the hell that colourful liquid coming out of them is, the better. Just tell yourself it's the stuff you see inside glowsticks and move on. Of course, moving on might be a little hard, as when you reach the very center of the park, you might just stumble across exactly what had the Revenants here so worked up in the first place... ⚝ Mall: Those of you who were fans of the conbini in Limbo: congratulations! Those of you who were fans of the mall in Invidia being normal: my condolences. While the mall hasn't changed much physically down here in the Underside, the shopping experience certainly has. The items up for purchase have fallen prey to the same effects as the ones in Limbo and so everything is a little... off. Food comes in strange shapes and flavours, clothes don't look quite right and any books or written media you pick up to try and read will just be a jumble of text that only occasionally becomes discernable. The same unfamiliar person who was all over the screens outside can also be found here, looking for all the world like the average celeb. It won't be easy finding anything to read, though, because the mall is crammed full of Revenants who seem to be doing their level best to full on loot the place. Take great care in your investigations, because if they get the idea that you're trying to steal anything from the mall, they'll set on you quicker than you can blink. ⚝ Rooftop Stage: Given that the rooftop stage was the last place you all saw Esme, it's not a bad idea to check there again to see if that's where she's ended up. There's an eerie similarity between the rooftop here and the one back in Invidia, too – just like that one, the rooftop here is in disrepair, as though it's been subject to some sort of violent tantrum, with all the equipment smashed to bits and the stage itself almost completely demolished. At second glance though, it becomes a bit more obvious that this place has been systematically broken down to allow as many of its components as possible to be harvested to construct what looks to be a gigantic cage right on the stage. And what's inside the cage you ask? You'll have to see for yourself... ⚝ Mansion: Esme's mansion seems to be the only part of Invidia that has escaped the warping and confusion of the Underside. The gate at the front is locked again but the outer walls no longer grow in height to keep outsiders at bay, so if you want to get in then scaling the wall is your best bet. No problem for the Executors, of course! Once you're inside, you can look around and see that not only has the interior escaped the uncomfortable twisty-turny distortions of the Underside but it also looks... lived in. Like "the bed still isn't made from being vacated this morning" lived in. There's food in the fridge. Was she... living here...? ⚝ Broadcasting Station: See for yourself. HAZARDS ⚝ On The Spot: Though there seems to be no actual source for them, large spotlights sweep through the streets of Invidia. They're easy to see coming and not too large that you can't dodge out of the way if there's one coming at you, but take care – if you happen to be caught in the glare of one of these spotlights, then you'll be plastered all over the screens that are scattered about the city and find yourself beset by Revenants who all want a very literal taste of you. ⚝ Structural Damage: Many of the buildings around the city have fallen into disrepair due to the presence of the Revenants here. Some have taken extreme structural damage and are on the verge of collapse so be careful not to end up trapped in a collapsing building, or you might be stuck waiting for a fellow Executor to fish you out. ⚝ Revenant Types Present: Henricus, Rigaud

Comments

[schardynfreude]

[With a huff, and a puff, Chiron also arrives, still decked out in white. He wrinkles his nose a bit at the tables but, listen, he trusts that they're as disinfected as they're gonna be, and while linens and pillows are nice, the stabilized wounded can be moved inside where it's more comfortable.]

I'm here. I can lend a hand. Shall I at least fetch something a little more comfortable? [He's gonna fetch something a little more comfortable anyway. They can wash the pillows from the couch later.]

[Chiron is available for healing if Mercy's busy or someone is a little hesitant to see her specifically.]

[mementomoritz]

Ooh, yes please! [Medic has disinfected these tables so much, Chiron. Her passion for proper sanitary conditions is inspiring and also slightly scary.]

I was thinking of raiding the mansion for extra supplies, but I wanted to make sure we didn't have any serious cases before I went anywhere. It'd be pretty bad if I was stuck fighting a Revenant or something in there while someone was going into shock!

[schardynfreude]

...Hm, you're right. We don't know what might be lurking in this version of the mansion.

Well...I'll be quite careful and come running very quickly if there's trouble. While yelling and waving my hands.

[mementomoritz]

[Cheerfully, without missing a beat:] I want to see if she keeps her poison in the same place here.

[OH, WELL THAT'S?? FINE????]

[schardynfreude]

Need more samples? Or just curious to see if the properties have shifted as so many things shift? [Actually pretty fine! It's science!]

[mementomoritz]

Mostly the second one- but I'll never say no to new samples! [As it is, she's amassed quite the collection, all carefully sorted and labeled for later analysis.]

I really want to figure out if there's multiple types of pneumatotoxins, or if the one Esme was using was just a more heavily concentrated version of the same poison that Revenant down here had... if they are different, finding a common thread could really be key to developing a working antidote.

[schardynfreude]

That's true--my dear, you really are a genius, even if your methods are at times unsettling. I can't say I'd be of terribly much use, but I seem to have an approximate knowledge of many things and an affinity for healing, so if ever you require a hand, I am willing to help. At my discretion. [In case shit is a little Too Weird.]

At any rate--hm, the gate's still shut, but perhaps it isn't bound to Esme's will down here. We'll find a way through even if it's just busting the lock.

[curiositydies]

[ Mercy seems to have her hands full with everyone else's cases, and Frost's deep arm wound, even if it's serious, comes with no extra surprises. He drifts idly over to the man who seems to be helping with all this - another Executor with healing powers, he assumes. ]

Do you have time to spare for an arm injury? As fascinating as this is to witness, it does hurt quite a bit.

[ He has a distinct feeling bones shouldn't be able to bleed this way, but it's happening regardless; he's keeping his other hand clamped over it to stem the flow of pneuma somewhat. Ficino's teeth have left some significant gashes. ]

[schardynfreude]

Oh! Of course. [He makes a 'come here' motion even as he approaches Frost himself.] No need to wait for something like that, no. This particular level seems to have been quite nasty to us. Sit down if you'd like.

[Not that it takes Chiron long to take a look and then lay a hand on the fellow, nor does it take but an instant for a warm glow to emanate from the palm of his hand. Setting right to work.]

Fascinating, is it? [That sounds like a Mercy thing to say. Oh boy.]

[curiositydies]

[ Frost thinks Mercy is a bright young girl with an excellent mindset and that should really tell you everything you need to know about him in this regard.

He lifts his hand to reveal the injury, deep gashes in the bone that bleed pneuma incessantly. Rather than sit (his ability to sit is untested, given he has little in the way of a lower body in this form), he simply extends his wounded arm to make it easier to work on. It helps that Chiron is tall, so he doesn't even have to bend down. ]

I know quite little overall, but I'm almost certain bones aren't meant to bleed this much. In that aspect, it's interesting, at least. No matter which form I take, the general properties of injury seem to remain more or less the same.

[schardynfreude]

Mm, your form is certainly the next best thing to unique! [He...he's just going to go about this as though it's a broken bone. Seeing as it's kind of a broken bone?] Aside from you, the other unusual form was the sentient suit of armor. Completely empty inside, as it turned out.

[He wonders if it says something that he doesn't necessarily find Walking Talking Bleeding Skeleton to be super alarming.]

I imagine that forms don't necessarily negate some of the basic properties of this place. It is, after all, merely...hm, an illusion? Perhaps that isn't the right word--but the appearances are reflections of some form of ourselves, it seems, whether a deliberate change via thought and perception, or an indication of some deeper sense of self we've yet to reach. Just because you appear as bones does not keep you from being injured as anyone else might.

[curiositydies]

[ IT MIGHT AS WELL BE A BROKEN BONE. No need to worry about superficial(??) things like flesh and nerves and blood, if such things matter in the realm of the dead; the injury heals smoothly under Chiron's minstrations.

Frost has been wondering about the fact that he feels just as comfortable - if not more so - as the aforementioned Walking/Floating Talking (sometimes) Bleeding Skeleton. That has to be some kind of clue, doesn't it? ]

That does make sense. [ There's still much he has to learn, it seems. ] And I suppose a self-image is a self-image, no matter what form it takes...the perception of the soul seems as if it holds sway over any other physical property that might otherwise be present.

Though from the accounts I've heard from those who went to battle against that girl who styled herself a rival, the subconscious seems to be able to produce some rather twisted results... [ He's just been hanging out and eavesdropping about the Esme fight. Everyone seemed fairly distressed about it, but he just finds it interesting in what it implies. ]

[schardynfreude]

Ah, I've only caught bare snippets myself. Some kind of monstrous form, rather immune to getting her head cut off. [Idly:] Hm, shame. Was looking forward to that.

[discutio]

Chiron.

Where are you right now.

[schardynfreude]

[That's alarming!]

In front of this version's mansion. Medic has set up something of a triage area.

Where are you do you need me to come get you

[discutio]

[MEDIC WHY DID YOU SEND A PICTURE]

No.

I'll be there shortly.

[schardynfreude]

If you're sure!

[He's fretting, but pushing the issue is only going to get him snapped at, so. Fretting to himself it is!]

[discutio]

[Fret all you like, good buddy, because when Phoenix showed up not terribly long after that he looked a bit worse for wear; pale and unsteady on his feet, with a good amount of pneuma on the sleeve of his Executor uniform.]

Chiron?

[schardynfreude]

I'm here-

[And he'll find some assistance whether it was asked for or not.] Easy now. Come sit. [Not onto one of the picnic tables set up, just, like, down. Against the wall surrounding the mansion.] I'll take care of the worst of it, and then we can get you inside.

[alcahest]

[ Mona comes by when Chiron's not busy with anything, no patients currently in need of tending to; she looks a little shell-shocked, and her Executor outfit is soaked with pneuma in places, though she doesn't appear to have any injuries.

she doesn't say anything. she just walks over and clutches at the hem of his sleeve with her fingers. ]

[schardynfreude]

[She is a sight, and it has him putting hands on her, patting her down to look for any injuries. She seems--fine?]

Dear child, you look frightful. [Stay calm. Remain calm!] Would you like to sit with me a while? Perhaps talk about it, only if you'd like.

[alcahest]

[ her grip drops from his sleeve to the hem of his shirt when he moves to pat her down; she thinks to reassure him that it's not her blood, that she's not hurt, but it seems slow to come to her tongue.

at his question, she nods, mutely. it seems like she'll follow wherever he wants to sit her down. ]

[schardynfreude]

[Not far. If she weren't in a bit of shock, he'd suggest they scale the wall to make their way inside, but this seems a little more immediate. Chiron snatches one or two of the couch pillows he'd nabbed inside and settles them on the ground against the wall to sit on. He takes her gently by the hand to go sit, and then, once settled, puts an arm around her shoulders, pulls her in against him.]

We'll get you somewhere more comfortable soon. Home, I should think, for a dip in the bath and a change of clothes. Hot food and a long nap. You know Phoenix is bound to whip up something for the lot of us again, when he's up to the task. Does not like being cared for, and yet insists on doing all the caring, that one.

[alcahest]

[ although Mona herself only reached for that tenuous thread of contact, she goes easily when Chiron pulls her close. her head rests on his shoulder, eyes shut, pliant and heavy with exhaustion rather than relaxation. ]

... He probably wouldn't have gotten hurt if I were better at this. [ she can't stand that both Beast and Phoenix came out of that fight with such injuries, and she didn't get a scratch. but she didn't know what else she could have done, in the moment. ] Is he okay?

[ she saw him after he got healed, and he looked alright, but she can't help asking to be sure. ]

[schardynfreude]

Everyone who has come through here is going to be alright. Medic and I know what we're doing, more or less.

[He rubs her arm.] You are just fine the way you are, you know.