cancry | Invidia Underside Log

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Aw, thanks! I think you're very effective at accomplishing your goals, too.

[Her compliments are esoteric but entirely genuine.]

Don't worry, even I know you can't pull someone into an experiment without their consent. [In, uh. Either sense of "experiment".]

I wonder if the walls still grow to keep people out, down here...

Only one way to find out~!

[And nyoom, in a blink, he warps up to the top of the wall. And. Past it! He manages to grab the top of it before plummeting the rest of the way.]

Well then, that certainly answers that.

[Ah, the spirit of scientific inquiry.]

Congratulations! [She seems to mean it sincerely, at least.]

...oh! I have an idea! [She pulls out her phone and holds it up so he can see, tapping over to the audio call app.] I'm pretty sure these can make video calls. If you call me and keep the phone on while you explore, we'll know if you need backup without me leaving the emergency tent!

[He hefts himself to sitting atop the fence, leggies kicking.] Brilliant, absolutely brilliant, my child. We would be lost, adrift at figurative sea without you!

Aw, I'm sure you'd figure out cell phones! [She waves off the compliment, smiling cheerfully.] You're very creative, after all.

Invidia Underside Log

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