aftr_ooc | July Exploration: Ignotum Fatum

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July Exploration: Ignotum Fatum

JULY EXPLORATION: IGNOTUM FATUM

Those of you interested in exploring the underwater structures discussed in our OOC Event Information may do so here! Instead of linking to our Search Requests page, we've chosen to consolidate all OOC discoveries regarding this particular location into one post.

Che Vibra ed Arde

The opportunity is finally yours to find some answers, dear explorers. The underwater structures are yours to pick apart and study at length...as long as you're not stretching the time limit you have to your underwater shape, of course.

Even from a distance, it's apparent that most of these structures have been through quite a lot. Given that they look very much like they were meant to exist on the surface, it's very likely that they were built there and then subsequently sank. The design of each construct is relatively simple, but sturdiness was an evident priority - many of these structures have retained their basic shapes despite whatever it is they may have been through. Certain arches and pillars and supports may seem reminiscent of an almost Greco-Roman architectural style...though if you've been with us for long enough, these buildings might remind characters of a certain other city. Nothing as utilitarian or simplistic, but there's no doubt about it: this sunken city shares many general structural elements with the city of Ai'tuoh.

Bear in mind that the return of this area in the future is not guaranteed. Characters must work together to cover as many of the structures as possible. Planning ahead and searching groups is advised. Also keep in mind the restrictions of the sne'akleriad - characters can only remain in their aquatic form for thirty hours at a time, and the underwater city has no places to rest. Characters may be attacked by predators and other threats, and not every find will be able to be physically transported back to the surface.

So tread wisely!

Vivida Nei Secoli

Below, we have provided the map to the entire area for underwater exploration. As opposed to our standard grid-based exploration system, searchable areas have instead been divided into numbered sections. Each number corresponds to the building or general sub-area that characters may search.

To search any part of the city, respond to our search top-level below. Remember that standard search request restrictions apply, as detailed on our Search Requests page. Make sure to use the event plotting post, as well as any other OOC avenues of communication you might need, to communicate with your fellow players as to who wants to search what!

Hover over a location for its name. Click on the location to read its description, and whatever has been found inside or around it. If a location has not been searched, it will simply read its number, and will not link to anything.

city

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] July 8th: The Jormun and the kaleidoshells return to Ensō's shores
[ ♆ ] July 10th: Underwater exploration begins
[ ♆ ] July 17th: Part Two of our second year anniversary Test Drive Meme goes up
[ ♆ ] July 20th: Monthly Storytelling occurs
[ ♆ ] July 22nd: The final island in this voting round appears
[ ♆ ] July 25th: The Jormun return home, and the magic of the sne'akleriad recedes

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

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For any questions unique to exploring these areas! Questions may also be asked in the Search Requests threads below.

To submit a search request, please reply to this comment using using the form below. Be sure to check earlier search requests to make sure that you're not searching an area that's already been covered! Remember that there are no places to rest - areas must be covered either one at a time or by splitting into smaller groups.

For this event, each character is limited to submitting one search each week, per our standard policy. However, characters may also band together with others for an additional two search requests, but these requests must be submitted by another character.

Bear in mind that you may encounter unique discoveries and hazards for the duration of this event!

Player: PlayerName
Character Name/Journal: CharacterName (username)
Character(s) Accompanying:
Area searched: Please specify the region being searched by its corresponding number!
Date of search: The day the search takes place; remember that exploration can only start on the 10th at the earliest!
Additional notes: Any specific notes regarding how your character searched, what they might have been looking for, or any events of note that occurred during said search go here. This may include how your character is faring underwater, whether they are armed, or anything else that might be relevant that you can think of!

Player: Echo
Character Name/Journal: Muffet (

prettypurpleparlor)
Character(s) Accompanying: Hector, Kravitz, Zidane.
Area searched: 2
Date of search: The 10th. She's here, she's queer, she's gonna figure this out if it kills her.
Additional notes: Muffet would likely be doing relatively well underwater- frankly, her aquatic form is less troubling than having been turned into a human a little while ago, and is armed with magic. If not actual visible weapons. She would be examining everything carefully, especially in light of how it might relate to her dream.

Edited 2019-07-10 13:55 (UTC)

I'll also note that Kravitz has darkvision, so he should be able to see okay down there!

Player: Samuel
Character Name/Journal: Keith Kogane

focusedroar
Character(s) Accompanying: Zidane, Castor, Drifter
Area searched: 3
Date of search: The 11th
Additional notes: If Keith’s pendant is relit by then they have some light. But they’ll be doing a through search. They’ll try to get into locked doors and all cautiously but barring that try to force their way in. Keith will be their cautious one and pull people back if an attack happens.

Edited 2019-07-10 17:52 (UTC)

Hello yes how effective is fire magic going to be underwater? Asking for a friend. I mean it IS magic but also... fire.

Also how fucked would a metal detector that runs on mana pool sigil magic instead of electricity be?

Player: ed
Character Name/Journal: Horatio Nullbuilt (

sonsofhorus)
Character(s) Accompanying: Drifter
Area searched: 12
Date of search: The 10th
Additional notes: Horatio's alternate form is no better at combat, but fitting his normal role he's got some built-in utility: tools, lights, and a short-range sonar to not crash into things in dark or clouded waters. I am assuming Drifter will still be armed and combat-ready.

Edited (woops) 2019-07-10 20:16 (UTC)

Fire magic can be interpreted a few different ways, at your discretion! The simplest manner, which would apply to objects that have fire augmentation, is that the fire outright doesn't work.

Alternatively, fire magic could work by creating scalding water, if only in brief flashes. This would still allow for it to burn opponents-- but have much less effect on tackling objects, and would not be suitable as a light source.

If you have another idea, please feel free to throw it at us; we'll work with you to ensure the most suitable result!

Player: Alex
Character Name/Journal: Beauregard (

lesbeau)
Character(s) Accompanying: Two, Fjord, Jester, Mollymauk, Yasha
Area searched: 1!
Date of search: the 11th
Additional notes: Everyone except Two and Beau can see in the dark via Darkvision, so they can see in pitch black as if it was dim light or dim light as if it was bright up to 60 feet. It's all in black and white though, no color. In addition, Beau just got her Googles of Night fixed up, which allow anyone wearing them the same benefits. As always, the Nein have a bunch of magic at their disposal and actually have fought underwater before, though admittedly not with fins. They will be armed, dangerous, and full of screams.

I thought of something else oops- for the gifts that some characters won during Anbaki's trials last December, do those work underwater? I.e., Kravitz has Grace's Visor, which allows for a quick dash. Would this allow a quick burst forward underwater, too, or does it have to be used with legs/on land/ect?

Player: Casey
Character Name/Journal: Edward Elric (

solperierat)
Character(s) Accompanying: Roman Gulliver, Tim Wright
Area searched: 1a
Date of search: 10th
Additional notes: Ed doesn't have too much trouble in the water--it's close enough to flying with the manta-form that he can adapt fairly quickly. He's keeping a close eye out for any monsters; he's effectively got Darkvision and he's got his hatchet with him (as well as That Pistol, though that's literally a last resort).

It would still work underwater, yes!

Player: Naz
Character Name/Journal: Héctor (

vagabone)
Character(s) Accompanying: Ed, Ginko
Area searched: 5
Date of search: 11th
Additional notes: Just looking! Héc will be a skeleton of a merman, not all that different (or stronger) than his normal self, other than the ability to swim instead of sinking like a loser.

ok sweet, just wanted to check, tyty!

The Search Below
A gradual incline leaves this immense building as the highest in the ruins, though this is hardly necessary. The sheer size of the three-story structure causes it to dwarf all its fellows, and an impressive amount of it seems to have survived a great deal of degradation over time. The surrounding seafloor appears to be broken into stone fences and a series of walkways that hint at what once may have been a spectacular garden.

Investigating the structure first will yield few clues to its interior - no windows can be found on high walls, and all entryways are closed with heavy stone doors. More concerning to some is the repeated pattern that has been gouged deeply into the stone itself.

Perhaps pattern isn't the right word. To be more precise, the sigil adventurers may find inscribed over every doorway is one that has been sighted before - in several different locations.

Entering the building is strongly inadvisable...but also impossible. No magic will prove effective at getting those doors open, and the building's walls seem fortified with near-impenetrable strength. Damage and erosion over time doesn't seem to have damaged much beyond the superficial, for this particular structure, and it's remained alarmingly sturdy.

At the very least, the building exterior seems to have plenty to hold one's interest.

♆ An Unidentified Building has been unlocked on the map of the area! ♆

Written on the Walls
When circling the building, characters are likely to take note of murals that have been inscribed upon the walls. Repeated across each surface with careful precision, just what they're trying to depict is a question lost to time... but no less interesting for that:

It's possible these pieces may have once been vibrant with color, but their time underwater has bled them dry of all but the outlines of...whatever it is they're depicting. The first of these illustrations is largely intact, if bereft of color. The second seems to be missing a rather important element. It is impossible to tell what may have caused the damage done to the object or figure at its center, but it's rendered it quite unrecognizable, whatever it was.

Further away from the building itself, the surroundings will prove none too friendly. Those who stray too far from the building leave themselves open to attack by the handful of Wendel that call the nearby seabeds their homes. These many-limbed creatures are frighteningly agile in the water, their appendages adorned with an array of adhesive suckers, not unlike an octopus. If they latch onto you with one limb, the rest won't be far behind - and once you're snared, their sharp-toothed maw won't be far behind.

The Search Below
Though heavily dilapidated, this building offers some of the most unique structure seen throughout the town. The initial two levels follow a more traditional layout seen from street to street, but it's the remnants of four tall spires at each corner of the building that inevitably draw one's eye. Sadly, none of them appear to be intact enough to enter from below, as originally intended.

The interior layout is difficult to follow, due to the extensive damage to the walls and furnishings. Interestingly, much of the floor seems to be coated in the remains of glass-like orbs; cracked, split in half, and shattered into pieces. The material they're made of feels much more like rubber then actual glass, and the pieces retain their shape even after pressure is applied to them.

There's very little left to help make sense of what this space was intended for. And lingering in one place longer than necessary is hardly advisable, as throughout the half-collapsed spaces, desolate moans and gurgling foreshadow the presence of Murk. Humanoid in appearance, these shadowy beings are known for latching onto those still living, slowly taking on a more lively appearance...as what they cling to loses their own life. Whilst killing them will reverse the process, being caught between the veil of life and death is hardly a desirable experience, and best avoided if possible.

♆ The Spires have been unlocked on the map of the area! ♆

Chart A Course
Beneath some of the rubble, the group will find a singular, intact orb. It seems to have escaped the fate seen throughout the buildings, the very center softly shining with a wisp of light. The orb is...peculiarly transparent, almost like glass, but it proves almost rubbery to the touch. This deceptive sturdiness must be what has allowed it to survive the wear and tear of time, and the pressure of the water above.

Taking hold of the orb with bare skin will cause color to bleed out of the world around you, hues of greys and blacks slowly transitioning to a full, endless white.

And then you see something else.

The spread of land and jungle has been rapid. Looking down at the map in your hands - a charcoal outline with hasty marks for points of interest, and little else - it's all too clear that you'll be discarding it by the end of the day...again. The thought fills you with little cheer, despite the benefits this brings to your people. More space means room for all, the ability to plan for expansion in the future.

For you, it means weeks of obsolete mapping attempts as you attempt to parse a landscape in a state of constant flux.

Mellith shares your lack of enthusiasm. Her expression is dour as she smudges out a mark on the parchment in her own hands; the site of a river that is now no longer there.

"When will these changes end?" she complains aloud, and you shake your head at her as you set your pack on the ground, taking out a new sheet of parchment to start your work all over again. Undoubtedly, you'll be abandoning it again tomorrow.

"That is for the gods to say. Not I," you reply. "See there? Perhaps this mountain will make ease of our skills. Sit and eat, then we make for the peak."

She doesn't say it to you, but you know she's thinking today will be another pointless venture, vantage point or not.

You're thinking the same thing.

The scene fades away, and color bleeds back into the world around you.

A little experimentation will prove that as long as the orb remains intact, anyone who holds it for long enough will relive the scene detailed above.

The Search Below
This particular wreck seems to have been built from a paler stone than most of the rest. It looks as though it was once made of neat tile. The crumbled edifice here may have lost much of its original luster, but its general shape will still be familiar to anyone who's visited the bathhouses on Io. The walls are in pieces, and much of the ceiling has caved in entirely. Nonetheless, the general arrangement of the rooms has remained largely intact. Anyone who's surveyed the bathhouses on Io will note that this place is arranged in a very similar way, albeit on a much smaller scale.

The organization of the rooms is such that each purpose is fairly obvious based on the objects in the wreckage, as well as a number of signs indicating the purpose of each room - many of which have, miraculously, remained intact enough to be legible.

It's a bathhouse, though a much less fancy one than any of the massive constructs on Io. This is a smaller, communal area for both relaxation and personal hygiene. It doesn't look as though any of the mechanisms used to heat or cool water - or cycle running water through the building at all - have survived whatever happened to this place, but seeing as you're all underwater here anyway, it's not likely that you'll need them!

♆ The Bathhouse has been unlocked on the map of the area! ♆

Twice Rinsed Pages
Though very little remains in the bathhouse, there is still an odd assortment of items to be found. Remnants of the bath's activities have the potential to be collected, with small bottles and urns used for scents and oils litter the ground by the baths themselves., even if most of them are in pieces Though the remains of dozens of books, curious as their location might be, can also be uncovered, attempts to retrieve them are for naught - years underwater have left the pages bare of ink, and so delicate that being shifted is enough to leave the paper disintegrating in the water.

Other items stand out, however, primarily due to how out of place they are in comparison to what has been discarded around them. Altogether, the group has found:

♆ The handle of a teacup. Though any paint has been stripped from the porcelain, the ornate design speaks of incredible skill or precision - or even mass production.

♆ A compass with cracked glass. The pin is still affixed to the face, but it must be broken, as it no longer appears to move.

♆ A small cage. Thankfully empty. Between the rusted bars and faulty mechanisms, it doesn't look like one should attempt to use it.

The Search Below
This particular building hosts multiple stories, though the further up one goes, the more progressively dilapidated those stories become. With simple staircases and a plethora of smaller rooms, it looks as though this building was meant to contain multiple offices, if the remaining desks and chairs in some of those rooms are any indication. Ancient bookshelves have collapsed upon themselves, their contents long gone, and old cabinets and chests of drawers have fallen into utter disrepair.

Some of the rooms bear old plaques that were likely meant to be mounted on the desks or walls. The ones that have not been rusted or tarnished beyond legibility can still be read, at least partially, and therefore serve as vague indicators as to what this place might have been.

Two particular labels can be found in two of the offices on the first floor, though both are missing portions of the words they once bore. Nonetheless, they read relatively clearly: M--ICINE and ARCHI-----RE. On the second floor, two more plaques can be uncovered, also incomplete. They read: RCHANTS and LIBRARI, and also seem to be missing several important letters.

The third story contains only one salvageable sign, reading MILI. The rest of the word is damaged beyond legibility.

The combination of office-like rooms are a fair hint as to what this place might have been used for. But in case there was any doubt, there is a mostly-intact sign mounted over the door through which people were meant to enter on foot, not that anyone with the capacity to simply swim in through rotted walls has any use for it:

UILD HAL

Some of the letters are missing, but it doesn't take much context to discern what they might have once read

♆ The Guild Hall has been unlocked on the map of the area! ♆

New Beginnings
While any documents contained within these halls are long gone, something still remains. Careful searching will eventually unearth an odd, transparent orb. Clear like glass, the orb is more rubbery in texture, retaining its shape no matter how much pressure one applies to it.

Maintaining physical contact with the orb will slowly strip the color from your surroundings, they greys and blacks transforming into gentle whiteness as far as the eye can see.

And then, you're somewhere else.

As the heads of each guild filter into the hall, you do your best to keep your expression clear of the nerves twisting your stomach into knots. Young as you are, your presence alone isn't enough to turn heads towards you - there are plenty of apprentice scribes in attendance, ready to take down the minutes of the meeting to ensure their guild members would receive prompt (though no doubt biased, depending on the guild) accounts of today's actions.

No. Your age isn't unusual - until combined with your seat at the head of the the table. You ignore most of the curious glances aimed your way, and direct a smile and a nod to anyone whose gaze lingers a little too long. Your previous master is the only one who returns your smile, sitting down between the heads of the crafters' and farmers' guilds as the meeting is called to order.

You barely hear Calem as he intones the standard introductions. His words come to you as though through some wet, vast distance. Then he looks to you, and the world snaps back to focus.

“As we say farewell to a member who sacrificed so much for our people, we also bring news of welcome with a lighter heart. Tamber's departure from this world one moon cycle prior has left a position in need of filling, one the high council has finally filled. Today, the high council welcomes Frotus of the archival guild as she begins her journey as voice of the people.”

There is, predictably, a mixed response to this announcement. A brave score of attendees applaud, though many expressions prove it to be a dubiously granted social nicety, and nothing more. Others don't move in the slightest, their faces reflecting confusion, disdain, and in some cases - anger.

That was only to be expected.

Edited 2019-07-11 19:51 (UTC)

This might be jumping the gun a little, but-- if the sigil was covered or scratched out, would the doors open?

They would not; whatever these sigils are, their magic goes deeper than just the engraving of their symbol.

Player: Maggie
Character Name/Journal: Ginko (

onegreeneye)
Character(s) Accompanying: Epsilon
Area searched: 6
Date of search: 11th
Additional notes: If they run into any plants down there Epsilon may ask them what's up, but that's about it!

Player: Maggie
Character Name/Journal: Erika Fisher (

bitch4bitch)
Character(s) Accompanying: Two
Area searched: 10
Date of search: 11th
Additional notes: Erika Definitely has a knife on her, but otherwise, not much to note!

The Search Below
Short stone walls outline five large plots of land, in mirror image to the land on the opposite side of the ruined city. In some, heavy troughs still stand near the remnants of wooden shelters, shedding some light as to their previous use. If anyone here remembers how positively rundown the fences on Nuidan used to be, just picture that sort of damage and disuse...multiplied by ten. Even at a glance, it's obvious that this place has been underwater for a long time. It's a miracle that this much has remained intact.

The farmland doesn't show signs of being used for anything other than probable livestock, and careful surveying of the ground - or some digging, for the curious - will lead to the discovery of bones half-buried in the sand.

Luckily, none of these bones are human.

No living livestock will be found in these farms, not anymore, given the state of the place - but something still stalks these lands. A pack of Grimlings claim this territory as their own, though their activity during the day is far more sluggish than in the early morning and evening. If one is careful, they might get through without a fight...

If one isn't, a retreat is the wisest option.

♆ The Farmland (1) has been unlocked on the map of the area! ♆

A Hint of a Glimmer
Picking over the fields will yield very little of particular use. One will find nothing living here, save for that which would naturally live on an ocean floor, unless one counts the Grimlings. There aren't any remnants of tools or additional structures for perusal. However, some items can still be uncovered. If attentive to their surroundings, the group will find, in short order:

♆ An old coin. Though both sides have worn down over time, one can very faintly make out the image of a person on one side.

♆ A rusty butterfly. What may have once been a sculpture or an old pin is now heavily rusted and almost bent in half. It appears to have been snapped off something bigger, perhaps.

♆ A gold ring. Surprisingly, it's kept some its color, heavily tarnished as it is. An inset at the top implies that a jewel was once affixed to it, though where it is now is anyone's guess.

Player: Shawna
Character Name/Journal: Leonard Church (

motherfucking_ghost)
Character(s) Accompanying: Ardyn
Area searched: 21
Date of search: 12th
Additional notes: Both are armed (Church's sword, Ardyn's dagger and natural magic), and Ardyn is getting along with his feesh form just swimmingly. Church meanwhile is still weirded out and forgets he doesn't actually have legs rn like a fucking mini-sub because Weird Fish People Magic but hey, it works. They're mostly just poking around out of curiosity.

Edited 2019-07-12 19:04 (UTC)

Player: Laura
Character Name/Journal: Lup (

hellawrath)
Character(s) Accompanying: Taako, Kravitz
Area searched: 20
Date of search: 12th
Additional notes: This squad is armed with darkvision and magic! Lup will also bring the metal detector she got for Umui and if it dies, it dies. They'll be searching carefully for anything that looks interesting, valuable, or plot-relevant.

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July Exploration: Ignotum Fatum

QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS

SEARCH REQUESTS

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2 | UNIDENTIFIED BUILDING

3 | SPIRES

12 | BATHHOUSE

1 | GUILD HALL

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1A | FARMLAND (1)

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