[Event] Temba's Peak... And It's Depths

[trpmods]

0 Hours And 0 Minutes Until The Eruption
It’s hard to imagine how things will play out from here. Behind you, down a dimly lit corridor and up vine covered steps is a door that will not open until it is safe once more. Past that the city that has been the home and base of operations of He Rows for years may no longer stand. Before you the same dimly lit corridor, the metal grating of the walkway, the close metal walls. Scattered near the edges of the corridor streams of Funfronds in all shapes and sizes run, some hauling the young and elderly along, none carrying anything but themselves. These little ones also seek the shelter of the depths, though at least they had known of the potential.

All around the walls seem to shake, or is that maybe the planet itself. Hard to tell. You don’t have enough information yet. But with the noises echoing down from above and the swelling of heat it’s probably better to throw caution to the wind and keep moving. Who knows what the depths most had not even begun to suspect will offer you, but it’s better than what was going on outside, that much is certain. Better to face the unknown mechanical darkness below than to brave the looming disaster above.

How did it all come to this? What have you all done to be punished like this? For surely the metallic catacombs you’re being led through now indicate that the last few days aren’t a matter of pure chance. No, there are forces at work here, secrets to be uncovered, and for once, you might actually be able to figure them out.

Or maybe, He Rows, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Maybe we should go back to the start.

3 Days Until The Eruption
Less than two weeks ago the new mountain near Temba started smoking. It doesn’t take a genius to be worried about this fact. The temperatures, the soot and ash in the air, the sudden change of the landscape, all of it was pointed toward only one sort of thing, wasn’t it? A volcano. The sort of thing that was so easily and potentially deadly. The proximity to the city is upsetting enough, but so far things have seemed alright haven’t they?

Unless, of course, you’re Peter Parker. The ominous feelings that kept a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man tense only seem to grow. Now it’s less a general sense of anxiety and danger, and more an overwhelming, almost oppressive sense of doom. A need to run. A need to hide. Something is very very wrong, and it will happen soon. What? Hard to say. But it’s coming. Coming soon. And he needs to be ready. They all do. But how?

Around this time the native animals not actively kept by the He Rows will also seem to flee the area. But unless someone is keeping close watch on this, would they even notice? Who watches the animals for signs of trouble after all? How could they even know? What they might see more easily are the Funfronds, scurrying about, seeking something. Or someone.

Meanwhile the train to Sh’Ka seems to be behaving strangely. It lets people board in Sh’Ka to come to Temba, but it sure doesn’t let people board to head to Sh’Ka. The doors just won’t open unless they’re letting passengers out.

2 Days Until The Eruption
It takes a while, but they do find their target. In the wee hours of the morning one Dustin Silver will be awoken, surrounded by frantically glowing and dancing Funfronds. His usual contact will dance the others to silence before starting to explain to Dustin their purpose. They have something to show him. It is very important. He cannot be slow. He must come. He must see. Be their voice to the other thinking animals.

But first he must be shown. The Funfronds scatter and the guide tells Dustin to go to their place of meeting, where they came to befriend him. And once there they guide him down into the mines. As had been done the day he tested his synthetic spores for the first time, Dustin is guided through the twists and turns until he reaches what seems like a blank stone wall. The Funfrond disappears for a time through a crack in the rocks, and then, after a minute, a seam appears. Grows. Frames… a door. A human sized door. One that cracks open and then yawns wider.

[Come. Must know if there is room. Come come!] the Funfrond dances in the door. And then Dustin is taken through it, not to be seen again for a time.

36 Hours Until The Eruption
There are, perhaps, benefits to being The Archivist. One of those is sometimes just knowing things thanks to a connection to The Ceaseless Watcher. This is one of the times where that connection really pays off for Jonathan Sims. Late in the evening on August 8th knowledge is just there in his mind. The volcano is no longer just potential It’s on a count down. There is no more question of if, merely a question of when. Actually, it’s not even that. He knows, down to the minute, just when it will blow. He knows how much ash will be spewed out, how much lava, what paths it will take.

Temba, he knows, is doomed.

He also knows that there is a way to save themselves, deep in the mines, thanks to the connections that have been forged with the Funfronds. The question, of course, is what he will do with this foreknowledge of danger.

20 Hours Until The Eruption
They arrive in threes. A trio of Funfronds hauling a rolled up piece of paper between them. To every He Row in Temba they appear. One remains holding their little scroll, the other two dancing frantically and vigorously for attention. Any with the Communications Datapoint will of course understand their strange dancing as language immediately.

[Message from Fluffy-Animal friend. Please heed! Read now!]

Whether they are understood or not, once they have a He Rows attention they unroll the scroll. Sure enough there’s a hastily written note with a map drawn below it. This note is written in a language any He Row can understand.

Some kind of world-ending danger imminent. Shelter provided underground by Funfronds, meet at [appointed time] at point indicated on map. Pack light. Details later if possible. -Dustin

The question is whether or not one should trust the word of a fellow He Row and his apparent mushroom friends. Of course, if the other He Rows have been spreading the word in their own ways, maybe this will just reinforce that there is no time to question, only to listen.

That, of course, always remains up to the He Rows themselves.

10 Hours Until The Eruption
Late at night on August 9th every communication device in Temba starts going off. This isn’t a polite beeping or ringing. No, this notification noise is more like a siren going off, forcing attention to them for anyone even remotely nearby the device. The noise will run for a whole three minutes to enable people a chance to get to their device and turn on the display, and then it will appear. This time it’s no text or audio only connection. No, this is the rare use of a hologram of Ga Re. The young Agrii looks highly distressed, and when she speaks it’s at a rush with all four of her hands wringing at each other.

He Rows, we bring you mass sage of great dane jar. Agrii watch Temba very close, and big mount tan is very bad. Will burst soon. Very soon. Elders think Temba might be hurt from melt rock. That He Rows be hurt, or die. We can no do much, but we try. Try very hard. Put shield on Temba. But no Agrii sure it work perfect. Will be much heat. Will be less air. Hard to breath. Very much dane jar. He Rows need plan, must shell tear. We help they best we can, but they need hide.

Elders say down may be good. Try go down? We bring all He Rows to Temba for safe soon. Would give ships but not ready. Cannot go up. Try down. Please He Rows. Please friends!

Then the message cuts off. Static seems to distort the ending, perhaps due to the increased smoke and ash in the atmosphere as the volcano gets closer and closer to blowing. There will be no reaching out to the Agrii after that. Maybe they are busy. Maybe they can’t be reached. The message will repeat every hour on the hour after that, though. Probably best to listen to the Agrii and try to hide.

6 to 8 Hours Until The Eruption
True to their word, starting two hours later, the Agrii begin collecting any He Rows who have gone astray. Over the course of two hours any He Row not in the borders of Temba will find themselves suddenly dumped in the Temba fountain. It’s actually a lot like arrival all over again, without the compulsion to touch the welcome datapoint. In fact, this will also happen to anyone who attempts to leave the city. It seems the Agrii are very serious about trying to protect the He Rows.

3 Hours Until The Eruption
The He Rows have had plenty of warnings by now, and chances are more than a few have already taken their direction down into the mines. But for those still on the surface, there’s much to be seen now. The quakes are growing in frequency, the sky is starting to darken even though it’s nine in the morning, and the air is getting a little… Well, closer is probably the right word for it. But those who have dallied, who have waited, who are still gathering their things, will be treated to quite the sight.

A glow starts beyond the edges of the city. It’s faint at first, a sort of tinting to the distance and the buildings that might just seem like a figment of the imagination. But over the course of fifteen minutes the light will grow brighter and brighter until it’s impossible to deny. A glowing field of magenta light has started to build. It rises slowly from the ground beyond the borders, stretching higher and higher over the course of an hour until all sides meet at the middle high overhead.

When it does there’s a bright flash of that same shade of light and then everything settles back down to a very low, barely noticeable light, like a tiny string of holiday lights in a fully lit room. Chances are it wouldn’t even be visible were it not for how dark it’s getting out, and the way that the field seems to fizz and crackle every now and then as particles hit it from the outside, be they ash or blown off tree leaves, or just an animal in flight.

The shield is here, but its presence reinforces the fears the Agrii have.

2 Hours Until The Eruption
A bright burst of light goes up from the top of the Security Tower. It’s almost like a bolt of lightning in reverse, complete with thunder. Of course no one will see it unless they are still, unwisely, on the surface. Even as the noise spreads through the city all communications functions on the communications devices go abruptly and completely dead. The Network is down, and there isn’t really time to figure out what to do with it. The rendezvous time with the Funfronds is only one hour away.

The earthquakes are getting even stronger now. Walking long distances without falling might well be hard. Not to mention the shakes are enough to bring some of the more ruined buildings down. Debris is falling everywhere.

1 Hour Until The Eruption
Deep in the mines the He Rows have gathered, waiting at the point they have been directed to. So many people in so little space means it’s noisy, it’s cramped, and yeah, it’s a bit warmer. Their possessions they deemed too important to risk are around them, the animals they chose to save as well. All in all it’s quite the busy place. And hopefully, hopefully, the Funfronds will come through for you.

Sure enough, at the exact moment indicated on the notes, a crack forms in the wall. The line races around the limits of a door then, and it swings outward. Crowded around the edges are a group of Funfronds. The tunnel they guard is dimly lit, and their caps glow softly in a variety of colors. They dance a frantic greeting that anyone with Communications can understand.

[Hurry. Do not dally. Those who speak spread out. Mingle with others. Relay words. Be quick. Quick quick!]

And then the Funfronds part. One races ahead, clearly expecting some He Rows along with one ‘Speaker’ to follow. As the He Rows progress through the door the Funfronds break off at regular intervals to run with them, to communicate.

Very quickly the stone and vines give way to metal walls, to corridors, to something very like the confines of the ships, but far more advanced. The Funfronds run and race, and soon the He Rows are joining a stream of more Funfronds running along vines that grow on the walls, or in crevices cut out of it. It’s almost like their whole colony is also in flight.

With the guidance of the little plantkin people, the He Rows will be led down, down down into the planet, into The Warrens.

30 Minutes Until The Eruption
Anyone on the surface will find it hard to breathe, hard to walk, hard to think. The Agrii shield seems to be holding through. And in the distance the mouth of the volcano radiates baleful light up to the soot dark clouds.

15 Minutes Until The Eruption
Power goes out all over the city, leaving it lit only by the faint magenta glow of the Agrii’s best attempt to defend their He Rows. Meanwhile below any He Rows not yet through the door are encouraged to start running. It’s too important they at least get through into the passage. There isn’t much time left.

5 Minutes Until The Eruption
The passage door in the mines closes, and the final Funfronds race into the depths. All they can do now is get as deep as they can. The good news is that with the door closed the air seems… cooler. Fresher. Maybe this plan really is the right one.

Meanwhile on the surface the air in the city is too thin. Those still present there that require breathing will be rendered unconscious. Better not to be there. Better not to die, He Row.

0 Hours, 0 Minutes Until The Eruption
And we’ve already been here, haven’t we? Already seen where you are now, what it means, how you got here. Maybe it’s time to look forward.

1 Hour After The Eruption
Will you ever stop walking down? It’s so far. How is it so far? Maybe your stronger companions will help you if you are feeling weak. The Funfronds seem to have no intention of stopping just yet. At least Dustin and Jon can assure people they’re still on the right path.

2 Hours After The Eruption
Down one last staircase and then a danced message relayed down the line of refuges. No more stairs now. Just the walking. Time for a rest, time for food.

The Funfrond will happily help the He Rows in sharing out what they have brought for themselves and for others. Meanwhile at increments along the walls Funfronds fiddle here and there until they open small panels that hadn’t seemed obvious before. They peel back bits of the walls to reveal pipes, and they work at those until they open stoppers to them. Clear, fresh water pours forth. What are these water pipes fed by? Hard to say. What can be said is that the water is fresh.

Soon after that runner Funfronds race across the lines of He Row refugees and deliver one small, teardrop shaped fruit to each He Row who will take one. They are no larger than a blueberry, and are the golden-yellow shade of clover honey. When consumed they burst open easily on the tongue, tasting of… Well, it’s hard to describe. Like warmth and sunshine, like a smile on a summer day and being wrapped up in a cozy blanket by a fire in the winter. More importantly, they are energizing. Fatigue almost seems to fall away.

Once the He Rows have had their fruit, it’s time to move again.

3 Hours After The Eruption
At last the twisting corridors they navigated open up into a large open space. Larger than even the Waiting Room of the Calibrations area. Off of it spread a network of corridors, some with openings toward side rooms. The lights here are still dim, but it still seems cheery given there is a plethora of Funfronds running around the space.

Some are cutting into the metal walls with strange needles, peeling them back to put down clumps of a softly glowing moss. Others rush over to water these patches. Still others string up woven rush mats, creating little areas for them to live. There are even Funfronds using the cut metal to shape little stairs they stick into the walls to let them frolic all over their limits.

It looks like the Funfronds have actually been working here for hours, because there are other woven mats of rushes and grasses that are far too large for the Funfronds themselves to use, perhaps created to help He Rows make their own shelters and spaces.

[This is place,] one Funfrond guide dances, and they clearly expect He Rows to translate for them to those who cannot speak. [Fluffy-Animal help pick. Say twists good for Thinking-Animals. Make comfort spaces. We help get water. Find, bring food. Thinking-Animals friends of Funfronds. Colony help you. Ask others help you.]

What that means is anyone’s guess.

48 Hours After The Eruption
Actually, it’s less of a guess than it is something that becomes obvious. While He Rows have been left to turn these spaces into their own shelters for the time being, and water has been provided, it’s soon clear that the mosses the Funfronds grow for their own emergency provisions aren’t suitable for He Row consumption. Food will be tight for a time until a tapping comes. And repeats. And becomes like the sound of a conga-line.

Then, from a ventilation duct set high into a wall in the main area, the sound starts to echo and a shaking comes. Any He Row is welcome to pry it loose before it is otherwise destroyed and knocked down before a wall of Barrys. The ruckus was clearly them, as they go still and the sound stops. Soon after a Barry larger than all of the others, with a crown of woven grasses set with flowers appears. The Barry Queen looks out over the space, takes a thorn-sword from a Warrior Barry and taps out a message.

[We come. Our Fungus-Kin said danger was brought to the people of our Hivebrother. The kindness given to my Hive from both his people and that of our Fungus-Kin shall be returned. One day we may call upon you, Outsiders, to show assistance in return. For now, know you are brothers and sisters of our Hivebrother, and the Hive takes care of our own.]

The whole time the Funfronds have been eagerly building another one of their stairs up to the Barrys, and once it is completed they start on a platform only a few feet up the wall. The Barry Queen and Warriors stand aside and a cascade of Barry Workers start down the stairs, carrying a wealth of dried fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains. And more of the golden teardrop fruits, though those in the smallest numbers.

And just like that there is food, there is drink, there is shelter. Everything a He Row will need to survive their time down in The Warrens.

Which means it might well be time to explore just where you are…

FAQ
What are the event dates?
The ‘range’ of the Event from the first timing note above is August 7th to August 31st All dates are reckoned either backward or forward from the time of the Eruption, which will be at Noon on August 10th. The really key dates are these:

Peter’s Disturbance - August 7th

Dustin’s Disappearance - August 8th

Jon’s Vision - August 8th (late at night)

Funfrond Messengers - August 9th

Eruption Day - August 10th

Barry Arrival - August 12th

Return to the Surface - August 31st

(There will be a smaller post on this day)

Can we opt-out?
Nope. This is one where all He Rows will be looped in. It’s that or die. If you are not interested in this event we advise sending He Rows on a Hiatus or handwaving their actions through it and focus on playing out earlier in the month.

Wait, what if I want to apply for a character during this event?
We’ve got you covered. Any character coming in during the August Event after the 10th will appear in the large open room in the Warrens. This is also true for any character returning from a hiatus.

Is the Network really down?
Characters will be able to use the Network up until 10 AM (Temba time) on August 10th. After that point the Network will be down for the remainder of the event. Once He Rows return to the surface our Engineers and Communications Experts might need to do some repairs to get the system up and running again. We have faith in you.

How much can we bring with us down into The Warrens?
As much as you believe your character could reasonably carry, plus any animals they can encourage to go with them that are their pets. Don’t worry about the Glownies, the Bantha, the Mothcats, and other non-personal pet animals. They have plot armor.

Will power work when we return to the surface?
Yes. Power will be back up and running before you return.

What will we eat/drink?
The Funfronds will assist He Rows in tapping into water lines hidden in the walls. He Rows will not be able to do this on their own. There is something in the tools they use, and they know the technique of it. They will set up a variety of access points for water. If someone explains it to them they might even be able to help set up bath rooms and showers, but those WILL need explained.

As for food, He Rows will need to get by on what they brought for themselves for the first two days. Remember that days on Agra-10 are 30 hours long. So that’s around 60 hours He Rows need to account for on their own beyond water. After that the Barrys will be doing regular supply drops at the delivery platform. Might be nice to thank them. Any He Row who attempts to harm the Barrys or Funfronds in an attempt to get more food than the others may find themselves kept away from the supplies by Warrior Barrys. Be careful with that, they tend to tip their thorn-swords with a variety of natural poisons and sedatives.

My character lacks the Communications Datapoint. Can they understand the Funfronds/Barrys?
Nope. Only those with Communications (or some character power related to languages) will be able to speak with these creatures. You’ll need to work with your fellow He Rows to communicate. For the course of this event use the ‘Barry/Funfrond Contact Request’ thread below to ask for their presence. If you feel that your contact with them will be a VERY brief interaction please just use the questions thread below to get a summation of what information you come away with or requests you might make of them.

Can we really die if we don’t head underground?
Yep. As you may know, death is not a common thing in our game. However if you want a dramatic way to drop a character, this would definitely be it. We do ask that if you decide to go out this way, let us know when putting in your drop information, and we would say that you could not bring back the same character from the same canon point in the future. Consider it a cutting off of the Agrii being able to access that point in your He Row’s timeline. You can still bring in another version or from a different canon point, though they will not remember being here before.

My character is in Sh’Ka/the Wilds/the Beach/etc when this is going down. What about them?
All characters will be scooped back to Temba starting at the 8 hours to eruption point. They’ll be teleported in from the closest points at 8 hours, and gradually further out after 6. After that they will continue trying to scoop He Rows up until their barrier goes up at 3 hours out from eruption. At that point no one will be able to get into or out of Temba.

If they have to deliver you to the fountain more than once, you’re going to get dropped from higher and higher up each time. They’re really straining here guys. Don’t make Ga Re’s job hard or make her sad. She really wants to protect you.

Can we communicate with the Agrii after Ga Re’s message?
No. Anyone with Communications will realize pretty quickly that the static at the end was a clear sign of interference. In fact, if they dig for even a few seconds they will find that the only reason the message repeats is because the message downloaded onto the communication devices and is coded to auto-replay.

With the Network out, can we still make use of the other communication device functions? Yes. Any non-messaging function will still work, including the Dictionary, the Flora and Fauna guides, the text to speech, and the notepad functions. Communications people can even write new programs, but they can’t push them to other devices via the network, they’d have to hand code them all over again on each device.

Are there ways the other datapoints can help out down here?
Of course. Medical to keep you alive, Agriculture to identify the foods brought to you and even help prepare them if you haven’t cooked before, Engineering for things noted below, and the same with Security. Pilots sadly won’t be as useful here. Don’t worry pilots, you’ll be back in action soon.

So, can we explore the Warrens?
Oh absolutely. In fact, we HIGHLY encourage it. Explore to your heart’s content. The Funfronds will prevent anyone from going back up, but the level that He Rows are on now may be freely explored. They will find the area to be very maze like, littered with rooms with no doors, corridors, and lots of dead ends. Some rooms will have machinery in them that seem to be pumping things through a variety of ducts, pipes, and vents. It will not be possible to fiddle with the machinery at this time, as attempts to touch them will be met with invisible barriers.

Those He Rows who have been around since the rescue of Ga Re on the Agrii ship, or who have attempted to walk through the train tunnel between Sh’Ka and Temba will realize that this is the same sort of force field that has been encountered before. Any attempts to drill/cut/tunnel through them will yield blunted instruments/weapons. Any energy or magical based attempts to get through will find the energy used drained into the forcefield, making it stronger. It is possible, though, to track them, and even figure out what does what if studied enough. There are pipes that are clearly water, some that are insulated very heavily and still feel hot to the touch implying they are carrying something very hot, and others are clearly shaped for air exchange.

Those with the Engineering Datapoint will have a better time than most in understanding this strange machinery. Enough time and study will lead to the realization that these are providing resources to some major technology elsewhere. The water is likely for cooling systems and fire suppression. The heat likely has something to do with a thermal energy power system, and other pipes are likely holding power lines running through this whole complex. The air vents are more of a mystery but hey, they’re keeping you breathing so it’s a plus.

Ultimately any He Rows trying to map the area will eventually find that they have come into an interconnected area that covers about five square miles, leaving them plenty of space to spread out and pass the time, though they will also find that most areas they end up going will absolutely have some sign of Funfronds or their activity. You’re never really without your little Fungi guides and protectors.

At the limits of this area you will eventually run into what are very obviously blast doors. There is no clear way to open them at this moment in time. Those with the Security Datapoint will be able to evaluate these doors for sturdiness and confirm that they cannot be bypassed from this side. They do, however, confirm that there should be a method to get through them, and even know how, if they could access the systems. Same with the force fields above. As for the doors otherwise, before you ask, yes, you can attempt to blast your way through them, and they will prove to be just as impervious as the door into the Calibrations area. Actually… it looks a lot like that door. What’s more, the scale these Warrens are built on are basically the same as the Calibrations area too…

Are we back in Calibrations?
Glad you asked. Absolutely not. But He Rows have noted over time that Temba is clearly built on a scale for larger species like the Agrii, and Sh’Ka is built more to the proportions of a species called the Graq. This place is not like either of those on scale. And there is clearly far more intelligent design here. If you had to compare the design to anything at all, it would be the ships. Which… weren’t those ships from the old Drift Fleet? What does that mean about this place? Why is this even here?

Can we change Datapoints while down here?
No. But we don’t mind if you handwave having changed them before coming down. Your character’s reaction to an emergency that will have them hiding for an extended period of time might well be getting a datapoint to back them up.

Will we be able to access this area again in the future?
Not immediately, but the Funfrond can be convinced to allow He Rows access to this place in the future. We’ll let you know when that happens.

Wait, no, this is the last question. You missed something I wanted to know about!
Ask it below. Seriously. Ask to your heart’s content. We can’t cover everything here, and we really want you to explore. But we want you to tell us what sorts of things you’re looking for, or how you’re going about it, or what creative tools you bring to the mix. Help us help you make your Warrens exploration the best it can be. Just remember the buddy system: partner up. All the better for having someone fetch you help if you need it, right?

Okay, but before you go, why is this so long?
This month marks the start of Year Four of revivalproject and we're excited to be opening up new depths of information as part of that anniversary. So we're happy to offer you a lot more lore and story as part of the event itself. Our offering the event post earlier than normal we hope to give you more time to read and plot. We hope you enjoy.

Comments

Questions and Comments?

[trpmods]

Post them here so we see them

Of course it's me

[wearingthestars]

I presume Billy cannot magic away the volcano, stop the eruption or any of that. Is he able to add to the shielding?

(I'll probably be back with more.)

[marquisdemort]

If he tries to eat someone while down there will he still be dumped in the fountains...?

And do any of the small creatures have the blood fruit or just the more normal fruits?

:D heh

[hashtagparkerluck]

What about those with an enhanced metabolism and have to eat like four times as much as everyone else? Do they get enough rationed to them or do they have to suck it up and deal with being hungry?

[thepurpleone]

Once he figures out what he's looking at, Donnie's definitely going to start exploring with more use of his goggles. Anything fun and interesting or just interesting that he might be able to detect? Or is everything covered in the above?

[quark_assassin]

So the peripheral programs on the Network devices can still be accessed/new ones can still be written, but will the Dick Shun Airy still be automatically updated with new characters/plants/animals, or will it be static until the Network itself is fixed?

[thepurpleone]

Guess I should ask this here, haha!

Any notable output/reaction from the Funfronds' tools as they apply them to metal? Magical, chemical-reactive/heat, energy or otherwise?

[thepurpleone]

Of course I gotta ask, can we open any of the vents and go skulking around exploring them? Why do I have so many characters that are used to doing this sort of thing I have no idea.

Also would the Funfronds be willing to cut away a larger section of wall paneling to get a look at what might be on the other side and is there anything on the other side, wiring, space bug nests, whathaveyou.

Re: Questions and Comments?

[sinistral]

If someone comes back from hiatus early, how does the character arrive in the Warrens? Just show up? Discovered unconscious in a cryo tube side tunnel? Dropped unceremoniously into a bathtub? Something that works better for overall plot?

[out_of_order]

Questions I should've asked earlier but they slipped my mind.

Say an exploration droid and a camera with legs have themselves an ad-vent-ure, what fun discoveries can they make?

Also, I have not made use of Cal's psychometry nearly enough, is there anywhere he'd get a sense that he'd be able to get a Force reading on, or rather if there's anything around, what would he be able to witness?

[tempredmental]

Keith's gonna set up a conspiracy mapping board type of thing (because, of course, he is) so anyone who's mapping the place out can share what they're finding in the way of a layout, etc. He's thinking of doing this in the big main space. Is there anything particular about trying to attach something to a wall? Can he find someone able to communicate with the cute NPCs to ask for like... tape? sticky tack? push pins? And would said cute NPCs be able to find a way to help him set something like that up?

Barry/Funfrond Contact Request

[trpmods]

<b>Requesting Character Name:</b> <b>Which group are they seeking to contact and when?</b> [Answer should note if this is either Barry or Funfronds, and roughly how far into the event] <b>What log is the contact needed in?</b> <a href="URL">This Log</a> <b>Do any He Rows involved with the thread have the Communication Expertise?</b> <b>What sort of information and/or interaction is being sought?</b> [This can be positive or negative interaction, long term trust building, or something specifically plot/information related. Levels of success in information seeking will depend on specific interactions and state of relations between the group and the specific He Rows involved]

Re: Barry/Funfrond Contact Request

[spinsandneedles]

Requesting Character Name: Sonic
Which group are they seeking to contact and when? Funfronds, pretty early into being trapped underground
What log is the contact needed in? This Log
Do any He Rows involved with the thread have the Communication Expertise? lol nope
What sort of information and/or interaction is being sought? Honestly this probably doesn't even need to be played out, Sonic is just trying to find ways to help the Barrys and Funfronds as much as he can since they're doing so much for everyone and he wants to be a bro.

[quark_assassin]

Requesting Character Name: Dustin
Which group are they seeking to contact and when? Funfronds, within the first few days of the event
What log is the contact needed in? This Log
Do any He Rows involved with the thread have the Communication Expertise? Yes, Dustin still has it!
What sort of information and/or interaction is being sought? Trying desperately to build those showers lol, the thread assumes that Dustin has made a...partial effort......but not every relevant detail has been communicated effectively and so now he just has a Mess. Donnie has wisely recommended that the Funfronds get involved to finish the job.

'Get Me To The Mines' Volunteers

[trpmods]

We understand some characters might be the sort to refuse the guidance offered to them. If you have a character like that who might need moved a bit more physically to the mines to get their butts saved, look here for people volunteering to help haul them down.

People who are volunteering, give a small example of how your character might get another person down into the mines to get to safety.

People who need help, feel free to reply and offer your character out for the rescue.

Tommy Shepherd Volunteers

[doubled_speed]

This is literally what Tommy does as a hero back home. Guy's speedy, and when it's getting close to departure time he's going to be counting heads and looking for people he cares about.

If your character has positive CR with Tommy and either requires assistance or just wouldn't show up on their own here's a Tommy to bodily carry them at super speed down to the waiting point.

Are we plotting? Plotting. During-eruption events.

[in_extremis]

I'll think about what happens during the rest of the month later.

Tony: I'm not totally sure about the timeline and I don't think I absorbed most of the details, BUT I can tell you that Tony will be VERY DETERMINED to try to minimize the damage from the volcano at least. He's starting from over in Sh'Ka so he might even be fashionably late to this attempt.
He'll be zooming straight for the volcano and likely trying to make runnels for the lava to go anywhere else. If he gets dumped in the fountain, he's just going to go back. If one of the rescuers tries to rescue, he might blast them, if you want a fight about it. He'll lose the Iron Man functionality when the network goes down, though, so he might be able to be dragged away then. If all of the rescuers are gone by then he might....die...I guess. (´。＿。｀)

Claudia: Is the opposite, is kind of excited to see a volcano pop loool She's just as intrigued by getting weird messages and going to see all of these people, though, so she'll linger maybe a little longer than necessary, but with any direct urging she'll go to the rendezvous. If she has any reason to actually be scared, this does make her vampire out and her fangs will come out and she'll probably go a little insane, so that might be something to play with. She's also fairly likely to try to at least torture if not eat a funfrond.

[wearingthestars]

Billy is definitely also going to go full dramatic hero and try and stop the volcano or reinforce the shields, so we can either be forced to rescue each other, or die dramatically??

Devon Plotting

[marquisdemort]

Billy K/Wiccan
The boy is a hero and will definitely being thinking along the same lines as Tony to try and stop the source of the disaster itself/to try and reinforce the shields. He'll urge/help anyone one he comes across to the shelters, if anyone wants a dramatic last minute rescue his magic makes him someone who might be able to do it.

He is available for first aid, AND can be used to magic supplies or food, especially in those more tense times, though his energy does have a limit.

Eddie Munson
Boy will be probably dragging Steve's ass towards safety or trying to convince him and Billy to stop playing hero. Maybe playing some reluctant hero himself. He's going to pack up what he can and get the hell out.

Eddie might run some games while they're down there, help distract, if anyone is interested.

Lestat de Lioncourt
Lestat has no limits (IC) to prevent him from biting while down here, soooo- if anyone would like to be attacked (OOC) please let me know, and of course then they will have to deal with the fall out of all of that. He'll find this all kind of exciting honestly. Not too scary, not to urgent, just exciting.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Please bite Peter and be disgusted by how his blood tastes.

Meanwhile he can bite Ash but Pikachu will shock him very hard. If he bites Zelda then Link might impale him so maybe don't bite her.

Xi Plottings

[buildingitsir]

•York Stark

York will be evacuating. His sytem isn't built for volcano heat, and he'll probably need to be carried at some point during his stasis during the journey (will probably end up handwaving that or having Hargrove just carry him). The ash of the city above might clog his system up a little bit, so he'll have to figure out how to clean the filters that keep his system cool.

For the Warrens, he can help research since he's got Engineering, and possibly be a small light source with his chest LED for low light situations. He's willing to go on little exploration groups, though he'll be more comfortable doing it when he's recharged from stasis.

•Billy Hargrove

As discussed above, he'll be mostly available to help evacuate people given the history California has at least with earthquakes. He was raised by the school system to at least be ready for disasters, and with lifeguard training, he knows CPR to help if needed.

Down in the Warrens he'll be antsy, pacing, and will be willing to go with exploration groups to get some of that energy out. Maybe find a way to lift weights (again). Since he doesn't have a datapoint yet, he'll probably nab Security at some point just to have something of use.

[in_extremis]

idk how much goodwill York has for Tony after our thread, but he'd carry York and potentially manage his filters at the same time. He knows York sleep now.

Churby's People Plotting

[stitch_witch]

Can you imagine how excited I am? Let's go in alphabetical order.

Gladiolus Amicitia

Good news, Gladio's very used to handling world ending events. So dude will be trying to get people somewhere secure. He is actually in a good state to help with carrying some of the loads people may have not just because he's strong, but because of his access to Noctis's Arminger. Basically smaller items he can store in an interdimensional pocket. Getting them back out will be tedious, but I'd say he can probably do things smaller than a breadbox and a bit of them for anyone. So let him back some clothes for you.

Once down there Gladio's probably going to be focused on helping people set up comfortable places to sleep. He's got experience with trying to fit people into places they shouldn't live when there isn't enough space because of his canon, and so he's going to put that to use the best he can. Oh, and hugs for anyone stressed out. Who wants hugs?

Lark

Lark is a sensible woman who can tell stuff is going on with the balance and how it's not natural. It will take very little effort indeed to convince her to head down. She's going to need some help though. She's got the dog to account for as well as a lot of stored raw materials for fabric. Why is this important? Once down in The Warrens Lark's going to be using her magic to produce large volumes of glownie wool and spidersilk fabric to turn into privacy barriers and screens as well as sleeping mats.

So, assistance in moving her supplies is VERY important, and she's also going to probably need people to help keep her from burning too much magic in making things while they're down there. Oh, and a dogsitter. Oh, and she has comms, so if you need to talk to the Plantkin, she can help.

Reeve Tuesti

Reeve's just... Listen, if there was ever someone who could be so caught up in his work as to not notice a fucking VOLCANO GOING OFF, or who would stall far too long, it's Reeve. We all know it's Reeve, right? Someone needs to acquire the man and escort him underground. Anyone want to check in on him, or is Mini going to have to call for help? NVM, his casual hook-up Richie is gonna save him from being pinned by a shelf that fell on him. He's good. He'll probably be hurt though, and could use some patching up.

Once underground Reeve will absolutely be running out his Engineering and experience to help people make shelters, to seek comforts, and then try and map out The Warrens. Also, with his materia he may be able to help people with comforts, with his lightning spells maybe being able to be used for temporary charging of stuff, and his ice/fire to help with temperatures or production of water.

Robin Buckley

Robin's practical. The first time someone announces there is a crisis and where to go, she's going to pack up her limited stuff, put it on her bike, and ride on down. Can you imagine a girl sitting outside of where the door will show up, doing crosswords? That's going to be Robin. She'll need help carrying her bike down into the underground. Yes, she IS taking it with her.

I would also really be amused if Robin got hurt. She's canonically a bit of a klutz. Anyone want to deal with Robin falling down some stairs or something? I would love for her to have to get around and do that. She's also the sort to be interested in other people so this would be a great chance for her to meet people while they're hanging out.

Tae Takemi

Doctor? Emergency? Yeah, you know what's going to happen. Unless someone forces it on her, Tae's going to be one of the later arrivals in the mines and she'll be carrying multiple really heavy emergency kits. If you can't find her apprentice Billy to help heal you then Tae's a good choice.

Once underground she's going to want help finding a slightly larger, closed off area to set up as an infirmary. All help given to that end is very welcome. She'll also probably try and encourage people to exercise after seeing how at a loss for what to do others were in Calibrations. She's trying, okay? Major hope with her, someone listen to her bitching over a lack of fish in her diet, lsten to her grumble over a heel breaking on one of her sets of shoes (yes of course she brought some down), and maybe a nice little instance of her getting to help someone who is actually injured.

Tommy Shepherd

Dude's a super hero. Whose specialization is getting people OUT of crises and natural disasters. Consider him a ferry for you and your stuff once stuff starts happening. See his volunteer post above if you need help there. He'll even carry your stuff down, but you'll have to carry it into the Warrens on your own.

Major Warrens goal? Tommy's not good with enclosed spaces. He's also not going to be able to get the level of calories he would normally need to keep up his speed (yes Billy, you COULD magic him more food, but then you're using energy needlessly so that's not okay at all). So, anyway, you're going to have a Speedster who a) feels trapped, b) is slightly claustrophobic, c) can't run around, d) is always a bit more hungry than he should be, and e) can't even properly help people out once they're all underground. Needless to say he's going to be walking everywhere, poking around everywhere, and probably ANNOYING EVERYONE.

Anyone wanna start a negative CR? Anyone want to be annoyed and yell at Tommy to be reasonable? Anyone want to help Tommy deal with the hair that he's suddenly decided is too long and needs cut? Tommy's threads will probably involve a lot of 'how do you entertain an annoying guy or to tell him to fuck off?' If you need a thread that is just amusement and chaos, Tommy's teh choice.

Since I just decided what Jon will do…

[beholding_archivist]

Tommy is on Jon’s volcano emergency ping list.
Post will go up later today~

Radley's Plotting

[crystalmaster]

Whoever wrote this is highly talented! It is very suspenseful and agonizing to read the countdowns. The building fear and terror is palpable.

Radley has been very worried about the mountain and has been afraid of something like this. This would be a chance for him to shine as a leader, trying to make sure everyone gets to safety. If anyone doesn't want to go, Radley will get tough with them. He will also have plenty of food supplies.

He'll probably explore the shelter when they get there and worry whether Temba will survive. He hopes it will pull through and that he will still have his parts he's been collecting. He wasn't able to bring them with him, I'm sure.

He also hopes there will be plumbing and showers.

[trpmods]

Thank you!

lalala what am I doing here

[thepurpleone]

Plotting...? I guess?

This is just a general slapdown of things since I mostly wing stuff anyway.

Cal and Cayde and Omega will be mostly helping with preparation and making sure people are okay and help out to get them to safety. Cayde's certainly no stranger when it comes to this, it's just the first time he's doing it with a looming volcano and not an invading enemy.

Felwinter will stick around till the last minute to make sure nothing/no one's been overlooked. If anyone's still lingering and passes out, he will drag their butts to safety no matter how wary he is about being stuck in another enclosed space, so if you want to be stubborn about leaving until you physically can't, he's your in. Or out. Whatever.

Donnie does not know how to deal with this situation and the only thing keeping him from outright panicking is getting all the things he needs in order. (Is Tony packing the turtle and DATA because if not, Donnie will he needs his rival/mirror). That is not to say he is handling this at all very well, he is a city boy and the only time volcanoes come out of the ground near a city is in the movies or just happens to other people. He will not be thrilled at all to be crammed into another crowded space, especially with Calibrations fresh in his mind so hopefully he doesn't hyperventilate. The only reassurance is the plant peoples but he very much wants to go home now thanks.

[in_extremis]

Donnie will have to rescue the children, it is the most important duty

Also I want everyone else to see him carrying the turtle

Voot's Weirdos

[beholding_archivist]

Jon

Jon is here to help, but obviously also watch while trying to to figure out why he knew something in advance when warning him isn't something the Eye usually would do. But those are his private musings.

Since he is still a Communications person he will obviously help on the side of communicating with their little helpers. He will do his best to keep an eye on everyone because it's clear that this is not a situation the Agrii are involved in.

Are all the mothcats usually living in the library with him? Who knows...

Wesker

The most important part: The sunglasses stay on even underground.

Calibrations are barely over and Wesker finds himself trapped again. Obviously he hates the situation because again he is not making any progress. He will also be extra moody because the rationed food is bound to take a toll on his large high metabolism body and while he's normally just an occasional smoker he might go through what cigarette he brings way too fast.

An issue that will arise is that he hasn't had enough time to produce enough of the serum he needs to keep his virus stable. Which isn't something anyone needs to know. Wesker will try to maintain appearance as best as possible. You may find him napping in weird places while pretending to be awake.

[out_of_order]

Okay but what if Wesker comes across Cal during last minute roundups....

Kinz Event Plotting

[hashtagparkerluck]

Ash Ketchum Pikachu's gonna be agitated and trying to get Ash to safety. Ash will be concerned with literally everyone else. He'll also try to makes friends with the Barrys and Funfronds because of course he will. He can also offer to help with charging devices because Pikachu.


Peter Parker He would like to leave right now, immediately. He's going to be. A mess. He'll have a whole list of things like Shaking, teeth chattering and massive headaches until he can get below ground. He might.. need so time to recover. Also, the shorter rations are gonna make him grumpy but he also doesn't want to take rations from someone else so maybe force him to eat more?

Zelda She is going to want to help in any way she can. Mostly, I think she'll try to help with medical needs. She's gotta meet more people still like Dustin and Tae. She'll be going into the shelter probably a little later then the other two. It depends where Link is because she's definitely gonna worry about him.

Re: Kinz Event Plotting

[crystalmaster]

Radley would try to look after Peter until he calms down, if he happens upon him!

Dustin Plotting!!

[quark_assassin]

So Dustin's accounted for when it comes to most of the pre-eruption stuff BUT the Funfronds will let him aboveground ~15 hours beforehand to get his shit and get out of dodge. He'll make a quick, absolutely unhinged network post in the early hours of the 10th before it goes down, and then not follow his own advice and will stay behind way too long trying to safeguard all of his stuff in his workshop and the Telescope. He knows he'll have to leave it behind, but he can't just leave it unprotected, that's a years' worth of inventions and the idea of losing all of it will drive him a little insane. So!! Someone should probably come drag him back underground before the guy that sent out the warnings to take shelter...doesn't take shelter.......god he's so dumb

Once he's actually back in the Warrens, Dustin's priorities are, in order:

1. Showers. Dustin has not bathed in two months, he is so disgusting, please someone with Engineering help him help the Funfronds set up some baths or something. Also his hair is probably a horrible matted mess so maybe it's time for the Fluffy Animal to get a haircut.
2. Food. Dustin's in the Unreasonably High Metabolism Club, exacerbated by the fact that he'll be arriving in the Warrens wearing his exosuit which draws a lot more from him than usual. He at least will have prioritized transporting all of the extra food stored in his workshop in case they're trapped for a very long time/they can't grow anything when they return to the surface, but he'll be...eating most of it...if anyone wants to try to convince him to share/beat him up for lunch lmk
3. Exploring. He won't have had time to do much of this pre-eruption, so now that he's stuck here, might as well get a better idea of what's in this place I guess!! As previously established Dustin is an idiot so he will probably try to do most of this on his own, but thankfully he still has his powers and is more or less incapable of getting lost as long as the tunnels don't change on him or something. If anyone wants to try to form a group with him before he has a chance to leave by himself OR if someone else/a group wants to find him deep in the tunnels so he can help them get back to base camp, I am down for both!

Also, Dustin still has Communications and is (somehow) (seriously how the hell did this happen) in good standing with both the Funfronds and Barrys, so if anyone wants an intermediary to help translate/ask for stuff from the little plant people, he's available!

[tyrants_son]

MY BOY he will carry you there. But he'd help Dustin if he saw him trying to secure things too.

In regards to 1, he can bother Donnie; he still has engineering and will need a distraction badly.

lazy Sanik plotting

[spinsandneedles]

Sonic's on help get people to safety duty, natch. His sense of self preservation is kind of nonexistent when there are other people who clearly need help sooo someone might need to wrangle the little blue spike boy at some point, but it's fiiine.

He's in the same 'fast boy who can't go fast' boat as Tommy, and will probably have an equally miserable time lol. He'll be doing a lot of exploring and re-exploring, trying to see what little places he can wedge himself or whatever. Maybe he'll get his goofy butt lost IDK!!

[thepurpleone]

please make the world stop exploding buddy kthx