player plot . temple expedition!

[itknowsyou]

Who: A bunch of nerds and their helpers.
What: The Sleeper Archive is established in an old spooky ruin to the north of town.
When: Early December
Where: Trenchwood, north of town.

Content Warnings: Tagged in headers as needed.

0. The Invite

Back before the cold truly set in, Adaine asked the network for help on an expedition to the far north of town. The previous group had managed to crack open the old temple, but never ventured truly deep inside.

In the first few days of December, when they think they might have a lull in the chaos, Adaine, Jon, and Martin reach out to remind Sleepers of the opportunity. Whether you were lured by the promise of old Deerington lore, the allure of an ancient temple, the need for protection against Beasts of the wilderness, or just a chance to fuck up something that once belonged to Mother Mercy... it's time for the work to begin.

When you arrive, small groups are gathering in the snow to the northern end of town. Some look thoroughly prepared for a trek through the wilderness... and others look like they've never set foot outside a library.

1. The Walk

The weather starts bad and gets worse. Snow begins coming down as the Sleepers make their way through the forest, and the hike grows bitterly cold.

The trees are dark and gnarled, and there's not much of a path. Those with a magical knack for wayfinding may need to help guide the party or light the way through the snow.

Minor Beasts creep through the trees, born from Corrupted animals of the woods. Don't fall behind, or they may see you as a straggler worth targeting.

2. Excavation

The temple looks like little more than a snowdrift. Those with physical or magical strength will be needed to excavate the dark stone entrance... only to find that August's flooding left frozen, mucky rubble that needs to be cleared. The whole while, minor Beasts watch the group from the forest's edge.

Once inside, the ruin is cold and spartan. It resembles an old bunker, more than anything: a bleak, utilitarian hallway lined with sconces and stone shelves, crates and barrels standing empty. There are signs of a previous struggle.

Those who venture down curving stone hallways, past sealed chambers and collapsed underground rooms, will find a heavy wooden door. It has been decorated with the greasy off-white of ash and the browning red of old blood, but the carving is immaculate: it depicts a figure with an ornate, filigreed body. She stands with her hands together and her crested head bowed, as though praying.

3. Snowed In

The weather gets worse.

The wind whipping through the wood begins to raise an unholy wail from the trees. Visibility drops to nothing: this is a blizzard, and an evening still riddled with Beasts. Sleepers may find it safer to stay awhile in the bunker, huddling for warmth and sharing their provisions by firelight, rather than hike back in the storm.

And there's work to do: orbs to install, furniture to build, ancient shelves to populate with books and notes and artifacts. If this place is going to become a useful base for further exploration and research, it'll need to become a lot more livable.

[ Please feel free to make your own toplevels using the prompts provided here, and direct any questions or plotting over here. Thank you! ]

Comments

[poorlittlesange]

the invite

Jin Guangyao arrives at the prescribed meeting spot north of town, punctual and prepared and still managing to radiate the energy of a lifelong type-A bureaucrat in spite of the sword hilt visible from beneath his winter robes. By and large the cold bite to the air seems to be something he can tolerate more or less without complaint, though any time the wind gusts a bit too sharply and whips back his dark hair, there's an unmistakeable pinch of displeasure to his lips. (Yes, he can tolerate this weather, but he could tolerate it much more easily if he were moving, so the sooner everyone arrives, the better, etc.)

To provide those who have arrived on time a bit of respite from the cold, he withdraws a warming talisman from his pocket and affixes it to a nearby appropriate surface, be it a wall or a tree trunk, and activates it with a hand gesture. The calligraphy on the thin paper glows, then crackles like a burning ember, and then the talisman itself begins to emit a comfortable warmth; its radius, while not overly generous, is about what you would expect from a campfire.

the walk

This isn't that different from a night-hunt back in the cultivation world--except that, on a proper night-hunt, a cultivator wouldn't be accompanied by anyone incapable of holding their own in a fight, too.

Jin Guangyao is competent and efficient at dispatching the odd minor beast as they arise, using a combination of judiciously applied talismans, offensively graceful swordplay techniques, and what might be a garrote (for beastly opponents that require a more up close and personal touch) to keep their relentless trek through the wilderness as safe as possible.

Winded after putting down something that looks like a small bear afflicted by some kind of blood corruption, Jin Guangyao loosens the blade of his flexible sword from around where the creature's head used to be, flicks his wrist to align the steel, and then takes a moment to clean the viscera from the blade.

snowed in

There's little point in complaining about his circumstances, and so he doesn't, although he is conscientious enough of his housemates to send both Lan Xichen and Shen Yuan a message via his omni informing them that he is likely to be delayed coming home due to the weather. With that done, Jin Guangyao sets about doing what he does best besides fratricide: he finds ways to be of use.

Fending off the cold is accomplished easily enough; he places a few warming talismans strategically around the bunker, which should reduce the need to rely on fire for warmth and the subsequent irritation brought on by breathing in too much smoke in a close space. The forbiddance talismans placed just outside the bunker requires more work and concentration, however, both due to the howling gale and the greater demand placed upon his golden core to activate them. So that is what he's attempting to do now, standing just within the meagre shelter offered by the bunker door, eyes closed in concentration while he allows a channel of blue-gold energy to pour from his fingertips into the characters written onto the paper.

(Maybe don't distract him unnecessarily, but if a beast is lumbering towards him through the dark, he would appreciate a heads-up.)

snowed in: action edition

[theflyingone]

Altaïr carries enough blades to make a Hunter jealous, but when asked, he tells people he spends his time in the Archaic Archives. His concession to the cold is a gray fur-lined hooded cloak over his white robes. He patrols the outer rooms and cleans up bits of debris along the way. He finds that moving around is preferable to staying still in these temperatures. He's more familiar with installing a new chain of command than new plumbing, so he leaves skilled renovation work to the professionals (such as they are).

He takes a moment to admire the strategically-placed warming talismans. When he feels a draft, he follows it to the door. It's dangerous to be there alone.

Yellow reflective eyes inch silently forward just beyond the doorway's light, where Altaïr judges Jin Guangyao's blind spot would be. Altaïr steps out into the night, deceptively calm but for the drawing of his sword (steel, double-edged, pommel in the shape of an eagle's head). If it's a wolf, it won't want to pick a fight. If it's not--

Altaïr's sword flashes as the creature lunges. The Beast screams and rolls to a fighting crouch, dripping toxic blood from its shoulder into the fresh snow.

"Go inside! It will attract others!"

[poorlittlesange]

It is the familiar scrape of steel against a scabbard that seizes Jin Guangyao's attention first. His eyes snap open in time to witness Altaïr intercepting the trajectory of some beast which doubtless would have tried to make a meal of him, and might have succeeded, without the stranger's intervention. Then its scream and the sizzling spatter of its blood into the snow--

He cuts off the flow of qi to the characters on the talisman with a precise hand gesture, which promptly flares to life where it is emblazoned beside the door to the bunker. Immediately, a swell of energy repels at the Beast as it regains its footing--and then with a howling snarl, it takes several lumbering steps backwards through the snow, giving its massive head a furious shake as though to dislodge something from its eyes and ears.

"You should not fight it alone," he protests. Jin Guangyao's sword doesn't quite leap into his hand of its own volition, but it's a near thing, and he clearly has no intention of leaving Altaïr to deal with the thing by himself.

[theflyingone]

He caught a glimpse of the cultivator defending the party on the walk here, but he was busy himself. Now he sees a bit of this magic for offense up close, and he's quick to have sword in hand to boot. There's no time to argue.

"We'll make this quick. The blood is dangerous."

Altaïr is already taking advantage of the Beast's momentary confusion with a dance-like lunge. The stab strikes true, but the Beast makes a troublesome effort at biting Altaïr's sword and refusing to relinquish it despite its injuries. He doesn't want to get too close, but he has to draw the short blade from the sheath on his back--

lance | voltron

[azurestar]

i. the walk

[Lance doesn't fee the cold thanks to his star powers. For anyone who is shivering, he can act like a human space heater, and will help anyone who looks especially cold with this ability. He can also spread his heat bubble to a wide range if there's enough people nearby in need of it, and this results in him glowing a little under his skin. If anyone stares, he'll shoot double finger guns and grin.]

Baby, I'm a firework.

[Then he'll further prove that statement by creating balls of light, essentially tiny stars to help light the path and melt paths though the snow. He's also good in a fight if they're harassed by beasts but may just try and shoo them off from creeping on a straggler by walking back and trying to make himself look bigger and scarier and… louder.]

Hey! You lookin' at us?? Yeah, you! I'll turn you to dust, RAHH!

ii. excavation

[Lance is good for melting snow around the entrance to the temple, but his powers are not nearly refined enough to do any delicate work beyond that. So once the entrance is exposed, he'll hang back, whistling meme songs to himself and wait while others coordinate those efforts. He might even try to start a game of 'I spy' if it takes too long. And might also chase off the beasts in a similar manner to how he had on the walk over.

Once the entrance is clear and they are heading inside, he'll look around and roll his eyes at how spartan it is.]

Welp, this is about as empty and lifeless as a convent. We're definitely in the right place.

[Exploring further into the ruins and empty ruins, even the ones with signs of struggle don't change his assessment on that. And then coming upon the big doors with the ornate and bloody carvings has him slowing to a stop and he spreads his arms wide in front of them sarcastically.]

And theeeere she is. The bitch herself.

iii. snowed in

[Once again, Lance is a human space heater here, and as he moves about the ruins, helping to set up different furniture and such, he will spread that to every area and room he enters that has other people in it. Others will pretty much be able to tell without looking when he's entered a space and he can leave stars in the area to keep it warm and bright after he leaves.

But he has a limit to how many stars he can make and how far he can move away from them and maintain them, so sometimes you'll find yourself in a room with one of his stars and it'll just disappear… hope you set up other light sources in there before that happens. If not, just call his dumb ass out by omni or yelling, he deserves it and will come back to help.]

ii

[theflyingone]

His concession to the cold is a gray fur-lined hooded cloak. Otherwise, Altaïr looks much the same as he did when he first met Lance: white robes and too many blades. He recognizes the man who encountered whatever-that-thing-was with him in that dank maze. Altaïr doesn't think much of his flippant attitude, but it might help to have someone genre- and trend-savvy when it comes to the dangers of this world.

"That's not very charitable," he says mildly, but he's not bringing much argumentativeness to it. "I have heard convents can be great places of learning and scholarship."

Clearly exciting to him. There's no party like a nerd party.

[azurestar]

Lance looks over at Altaïr and takes a second to appreciate his super cool asassin garb and weapons. Way cooler than what the Blade of Marmora wear in his opinion, though those outfits did make Keith's ass look fi-

Moving on from those thoughts, he clears his throat and shakes his head to clear it. Then he slumps his shoulders and lets out a huff.

"I wouldn't know. Never been to one." He waves a hand with a limp wrist looking around at the surrounding ruins, "Mother Mercy used to dress up like a nun, though. When she was going by Mother Superior and trying to kill us all the time in the nightmare."

[theflyingone]

The Blade of Marmora have the distinct advantage of not only looking extremely cool but having very comfortable ass-hugging--

Is Lance all right? He seems to be distracted.

"That isn't nun-like at all in my world. Why adopt the trappings of a nun? For power? There isn't too much to be had there. Trust, then?"

He paces near-silently along the doors but doesn't touch anything yet. He wonders if there are any dangers such a nun might have left behind to protect her... house of worship? With magic and blood seals being a reality in this world, Altaïr must suspect security measures other than guards or locks.

iii

[tempredmental]

[Thankfully, as a coldblood, Keith could generate his own heat source for other people as well, and he didn't feel the cold. So, he didn't really get annoyed if Lance left a star behind and it went out. He'd just replace it with a flame for anyone near to him.

But, unlike Lance, he couldn't leave the flames behind unless they were attached to a fuel source, like a stick or some sort of kindling. But, at some point, he does realize that the duration of the last star Lance left behind with the group Keith was near didn't last as long as the previous. He got up to go find him.]

Hey. Have you taken a break, yet?

[azurestar]

[Okay, so he has a weird relationship with sleep now. The nightmares make it less appealing sure, but his body is also like a generator, so he doesn't get tired in his body. But he does get tired in his mind, he needs sleep to keep his head sharp, otherwise he can't focus very well or do… anything very well, and becomes more unstable. And when he can't focus enough, his powers become more unruly and can even do major harm to him if he's not careful.

So he hasn't slept in a long while before going on this expedition, no big! He's fine, this is fine. Being a nuclear generator also makes realizing when he needs sleep more difficult… and makes actually falling asleep difficult. So he usually just keeps going until his powers become erratic and his brain can't string thoughts together well enough.

He runs his hand down his face as he lets go of the last star he left in another room after he enters one alone further into the ruins. If he hadn't it might have exploded and hurt people. And really, what a great time and place to finally realize you're at your limit and need to collapse somewhere to catch some 'Z's. He's so out of it, he doesn't hear Keith approach at all, and energy flares erratically around his body in surprise as he turns around. Then he grunts in discomfort and sucks in a hissing breath through his teeth, pulling the blue and gold energy back into himself with some struggle.]

Dude, what's with you and sneaking up on me??

[tempredmental]

[Keith narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the response. Really? If anything being here for a year now and interacting with Lance off and on during that time despite how frustrating it had been had taught Keith certain things to look for, it was how Lance reacted to things when he was strung out and tired.

Yeah. He was on to you, buddy.]

I wasn't sneaking up on you. You were too tired to notice me.

[That energy flare? Yeah. Keith was already working in his head to focus on his ice energy.]

Shiro | ota

[shiro2hero]

1) THE LONG WALK
[Shiro's been ready for this for a long while. It feels like finally taking the fight to Her - even if there's no fight to be had. If they're not actually going to do battle with Mother Superior, it feels like they're doing something right. Making forward progress. He's got a full pack of supplies, he's wearing his black and white Paladin armor, and a heavy cloak over the top of that.]

[He's more than willing to light the way with his right hand - glowing electric purple in the dimness. He holds it up like a torch.] Stick close. Okay?

[... the phrase 'stick close' will probably be repeated if any beasts step out of the underbrush. Combined with Shiro stepping forward, holding his right hand between himself, the party, and the beast. His omen swirls to life, a huge, pale lioness, roaring challenge to the creatures.]


2) DIGGING THIS
[Digging, while not his forte, is something Shiro can definitely throw his back into. Give him a tool, and he'll go to town, digging out the muck and shoving big stones aside. Did he just... shove that one aside with one hand?]

[And then, there's that door. With that figure inside. Shiro's face twists. His expression darkens.]

That's her. That's... Superior. [The bitch in nun's clothing, though Shiro won't actually say that out loud.]


3) SNOWED-INN
Here - Handy little trick I know.

[If you're trying to start a fire, Shiro's your guy. He hunkers down by the fuel, the kindling and the logs, and presses his right hand flat against it. Metal blooms to bright, glowing purple, and moments later, flames kindle to life around his fingers.] There.

[Shiro can also be found building furniture. He's got the muscle for it, he might as well. Even so, he won't say no to a helping hand. No pun intended, unlike before.]

[Or... you can find him in that creepy chamber. He's staring at the portrait. Bust. Whichever it is, Shiro's staring at it, flexing his metal hand idly. His expression is unreadable, miles away. But if you approach, he'll snap out of it, and try to offer a smile.]

2

[survivalthroughhate]

Perhaps we can find a way to destroy her for good.

[There comes the soft voice of Maul from behind the paladin. He's got a look mixing hatred and contempt on his face when staring up at the old Pthumerian's carving. He hates her far more than any of the other Pthumerians, even the Reckoning.]

3

[tempredmental]

[Keith found Shiro working on the furniture. He'd overheard him make the 'handy' comment earlier. After seeing Shiro's reaction to the likeness of Mother Superior, he decided to try keeping things like.

He walked over.]

Need a hand?

[Haha... Ha.]

[survivalthroughhate]

The Walk

Maul said he would come and so he did, though with no small part of surliness and angry behavior on his part. He wasn't sure why he even thought this was a good idea, though he suspected the desire on his part as a Vileblood to to do things he normally wouldn't have wanted to.

There was an attack on the way there by a Beast, large angry creature with very sharp teeth. This is where Maul would need help from others traveling with him, asking them to restrain the creature rather than kill it. "Find a way to pin it down or keep it from moving!" He'd bark out.

Then he reached out and began to remove the corruption from the Beast. Those who stuck around long enough would see it get smaller and smaller until it revealed itself to be in its original form: an adorable little black bunny rabbit. It pressed its little head up into Maul's hand in thanks before hopping off.

Snowed In

Maul naturally ran a little hotter than the base temperature of a human being since he had two hearts. The real trick was finding him in a good enough mood to snuggle up close and allow him to share that body heat. It wasn't easy given the ferocious look he wore at all times, but as the day or night went on and he began to get cold himself, he would be more amiable to the idea.

He also would offer at this point to remove corruption from anyone if it looked like they were starting to suffer from a higher level of it than normal. Being out here could do that to a person.

One could also find him moving about to keep warm, wandering until he ended up in front of the carving of Mother Superior. There was undisguised hatred in his eyes when he gazed at the figure, and despite Maul's constant anger, those who know him well will realize this is at a level reserved for few beyond Sidious. He had an overwhelming feeling of anger towards the old Pthumerian, knowing what she had done to Julia and the Sleepers both.

Snowed In

[tempredmental]

Keith had been studying that carving, too. He didn't know everything firsthand, but he'd definitely been learning. Maybe with a slight bias because he was learning about it from Shiro, of all people, but he'd been hearing the stories. He turned when he heard the near silent step. It was loud in a room like this.

He looked back up at the carving.

"This was her, huh?"

[survivalthroughhate]

Maul glanced briefly at Keith when he came into the room before the caring drew his gaze again. "It was. The life-ruiner," Maul said with a growling edge to his voice. He was always melodramatic, and the words definitely fit his usual attitude, but there was something just a little bit more to them this time.

Mother Superior had represented someone close to Sidious in his mind. Someone desperate to gain power at any cost, willing to sacrifice anyone to it up to and including her own granddaughter. Someone who claimed what they were doing was for the good of everyone, when instead at the core of things they were the only to benefit at all from their actions. She could arrogantly claim otherwise and condescendingly act like the Sleepers couldn't possibly understand her reasoning but Maul knew the truth. "If she'd truly cared about that little girl, none of this would have happened," Maul said in a fierce, angry tone.

[tempredmental]

"She certainly pretended to care about a lot of people," he responded quietly. He knew that trick... pretending to care, using that to gain trust and followers, then just taking advantage of anyone they were able to fool. He'd seen people do it before.

"I've been trying to learn... figure out what's happened before," he said. "I know a lot of people blame Julia, but her... Mother Superior... she's a target, too."

Martin Blackwood | The Magnus Archives

[gotaknife]

The Walk

[Martin hangs near the back of the group as they make the trek through the forest. Mostly so he can keep an eye on everyone, and help any of the stragglers who may begin to fall behind if need be. It's cold, and the snow does nothing to help with the visibility of the creatures potentially lurking in the woods around them. He's well prepared for the conditions, at least, but he still has to pause and hike his collar up to cover his neck as the wind gusts at his back, and even with gloves on, he mostly keeps his hands jammed in his pockets for warmth as he trudges through the snow.

There's a rustle of something off the path, and Martin pauses as he catches sight of what he thinks might be movement in the brush, and he reaches out to tap the arm of the person beside him to get their attention.]

Hey. Did you see that?

Snowed In

[It doesn't feel safe to head back out into the woods in the storm. Martin felt fairly well prepared for the cold, but it's not letting up, and the way the wind whips the snow into their faces makes it too hard to see, and makes them too easy a target for the beasts roaming the wilderness. Besides, he's fairly sure they're far more likely to run into trouble at night. No, it's best to stay put for now until it blows over. Besides, it's probably not a bad idea to spend a little extra time in the bunker, trying to make the space more livable, and comfortable for them all. He's already spend a fair amount of time tidying and organizing the shelves, and clearing out some of the old abandoned furniture that can no longer be considered salvageable.

He's taken a break from the efforts to settle in and take over keeping the fire stoked. He pokes at a burning log with a stick to adjust it a little on the pile, and glances up as he notices someone nearby.]

We've all been working hard. You should come sit down - have a bit of a rest and get warmed up again.

The Walk

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul knew inevitably that there would be people on expeditions that he didn't like. At this point in time, at least he'd reached a level of emotional maturity that could allow him to ignore them (mostly) unless anyone actively tried to antagonize him. So he'd just done his best not to pay attention to Martin.

When the man tapped his arm, Maul turned towards him with a grim expression on his face and a glare in his eyes.]

See what?

[He asked testily.]

[gotaknife]

[Oh. It's this guy. Martin is less than thrilled that Maul is on this trip to begin with - he made it pretty clear what his feelings were towards both him and Jon on the network, and the last thing Martin wants is to have to be watching not just for monsters in the woods that might want to attack them, but attacks from within their own group as well.

Still, too late now to walk it back and say there was nothing. Besides, if no one else has noticed it, not speaking up, even to someone like Maul, could lead to even worse problems.]

There's something following us, I think. I definitely saw something moving back there.

[survivalthroughhate]

Of course there is. Of course.

[Maul said in a resigned tone that wasn't surprised at all. Really, it would have been far too easy for them to get to the temple without anything going wrong or having a monster attack them.

Maul's hand went to the lightsaber at his waist. If anything was truly out there, he was one of the best-equipped to deal with it.]

Keep watching. Tell me the next time it's near.

snowed in.

[itknowsyou]

[ Jon is doing... fine. He's been worse. If he has the gaunt, hollow-eyed look of a man chronically underfed, no one can truly say he doesn't always look like that. If he startles at all the wrong things— catching at little movements of his human companions, swiveling with smooth and owl-like interest to regard flashes of monsters in the woods— well. That's hardly the worst that could be expected of him, and it hasn't come to any harm as yet.

In any case, he has a great deal of more pressing information to focus on. When Martin calls out for him to sit by the fire, he gives a dismissive little half-wave of his hand, a mumbled sound of agreement that means he hasn't really heard at all. There's a notebook in his hands, notes on Pthumerians and ruins printed in crowded lines. ]

[gotaknife]

[It's impossible not to worry after him. Even under the best of circumstances, Martin worries, and Trench is far from the best of circumstances. For Jon's benefit, he tries not to be too obvious about keeping an eye, or too fretful, but it's impossible to completely hide his concerns.

He sighs as he's waved off, and it's clear Jon is too absorbed in the notebook to pay attention, so he rises to his feet and approaches instead.]

Jon. Come take a break and sit down for a few minutes. You can tell me about what you've found so far.

[tempredmental]

The Walk

Keith wasn't bothered by the cold, thanks to his coldblood status, but that didn't mean he wasn't prepared. But, also thanks to his coldblood status, he could generate heat and light by creating fire. So, he made himself useful as a both a torch and a space heater, keeping a flame going in his hand as they traveled, relighting anyone's torches that might have gone out, things like that.

He was also prepared for a fight. Granted, he was wearing his Blade of Marmora suit. It was a lower profile and less armored, but stealthier than the Paladin armor. He was carrying his backpack as well, and, while he had his dagger/sword in the sheath on his belt, he had the Black Bayard along as well. He was ready for a fight if needed.

His suit also had a built in mask, which helped protect his face from blowing wind and snow, so he didn't have to shield his eyes.

Excavation

Keith was willing to help dig. And he did start out with doing that. But the sensation of being watched bothered him too much, and he eventually left the digging to others and started to patrol the edges of the area. He was ready to protect the exploration party if any of those beasts came in looking for a fight.

He also wasn't afraid to look around the bunker and explore the various rooms and spaces. He'd move obstacles to get into blocked areas, and other such things. The carving definitely caught his attention. He'd heard the stories...

Snowed In

Once inside, Keith still wasn't bothered by the cold, but he knew that they had mixed blood types here. So, he was willing to set small controlled fires for people to keep warm and to provide light where needed.

Also, since they were stuck, he'd set about helping with the building and cleaning, settings things into place for them to take control of the temple for themselves.

He'd also brought a decent number of supplies in his pack. So, he'd be digging into those during downtime to eat or drink something. He'd done wilderness hiking before and often back home before ending up with Voltron. He knew what to have along. If someone needed something, he'd be willing to share what he could with them.