Event: Passage in the Abyss

[letsplayamod]

[Well, even down in this squalid prison, you have gained some amount of levity. Just a day prior, an impromptu attempt to channel one of you to the land of the living put you into contact with not only the rest of your friends, but Athena herself.

That all comes to a sudden halt, but you're free to continue with perhaps a renewed strength. For once in a long while, it seems like things are getting interesting.

A day later, that's when the rumbling comes.]

That is it! I cannot wait a moment longer... My strength must return, and so my hunger must be sated.

[It's Typhon, he sounds mad.]

A mess of mortals, trapped in my personal cage. Perfect for feeding on!

[He sounds like he's on his way.]

Comments

[cannotunravel]

You have earned yourself a raise.

[Or you would, if ice cream still existed in our lives...uh, our afterlives]

7

[rockymountaindie]

I'll stick so close that when we get out of here [ it's when now ] you're getting me a whole damn sundae.

[ And we are finding...a normal passage, maybe?! ]

[letsplayamod]

[A safe and normal path!

Next step: will Team Path 2 take 2-A or 2-B?]

Rolled a 9

[cannotunravel]

[Well, it's not an ice cream bar, unfortunately. Misane stays close to Alex]

I hope you have good ears. In a place like this, anything far away will echo.

[She hopes so, at least. It might serve as an early warning system. Looking at the options, she finds it difficult to figure out what might be the safest choice]

This one...

[2A it will be!]

[letsplayamod]

[Team Path 2 takes 2A path forward. It appears safe and straightforward, a small corner turn before another dim hallway ahead. Maybe it's a direct touch or perhaps one of their shoulders brushes the wall directly in front of them as they walk that a stone there shifts and, after a beat, the wall slides away to reveal somewhere new.

Maybe there's an ice cream bar in this well-lit room?]

[rockymountaindie]

...Holy shit. Okay. Uh...

[ He knoooows Misane is going to want to take point, he knoooooows... But Alex wants to kind of peak his way in in case there's something dangerous here. ]

[letsplayamod]

[The room is warmly lit by ever-burning torches, giving it a feeling of safety compared to the rest of the dank dark maze. Even with Alex's understandable paranoia, this feels (for the moment) like a safe place. Almost like a save room in a video game.

There are wooden crates and clay pots scattered around the room, some untouched and a few broken. A stone owl statue sits in one corner and, in front of it, is a large wooden chest.]

[cannotunravel]

[Oh, a chest! Misane knows enough of how things go to be aware if you encounter a chest, you should open it. It can only be good things!

Apparently she has never heard of mimics]

Alex, want to deal with the owl statue first? See if it has any kind of trap or surveillance that activates when the chest opens.

[What if when she tries to open it, poisonous arrows come from the owl statue's eyes and she ends up double dead. She'd offer to check it herself, but, uh, she's shorter than you, Alex]

[rockymountaindie]

[ Alex has also never heard of mimics. This is fine. ]

Oh- yeah, that's a good idea. Maybe some kind of...magic camera, or something...?

[ So while Misane checks the chest, he is going to CAREFULLY examine that owl statue. Kind of from the side because of course he is actually worried about poison arrows or something. ]

[letsplayamod]

[The stone owl is a very simple, very round owl skillfully carved from a lump of stone with striking blue gems for it's large eyes. The longer he looks at it, the more it feels familiar, almost comforting.

It does not seem like it's hiding a trap.]

[rockymountaindie]

[ Oh... Oh, huh. That's so weird, feeling comforted by a fucking statue. Absolutely wild. ]

It...seems legit. [ He's gonna look over it while Misane is doing the bulk of the investigation anyway. ]

[cannotunravel]

Then perhaps this is safe.

[Okay! Let her come closer to the chest and open it! Am I obtaining the hookshot over here? The bomb bag? A simple recovery heart?]

[letsplayamod]

[The owl statue carries the sort of familiarity of meeting a friend you haven't seen in a while but they've completely changed their hair and style so it takes you several minutes of talking to a seemingly total stranger before you recognize them.

Misane, the chest opens with no fan fair or explosions. Nestled inside are several sets of torso armor.]

[cannotunravel]

We have gained armor. Come, wear one. We might have some use for it.

[We have a chance to increase our defense, Alex! We should take it!]

[rockymountaindie]

Armor? [ Strolls on over...oh, shit. ] Yeah don't have to tell me twice.

[ Snatches up one of them. Can we get these on easily, or...? ]

[letsplayamod]

[The armor goes on over their heads with relative ease. Misane is swimming in hers and Alex's feels tight around his waist and shoulders. The discomfort is only momentary though, as the armor subtly, magically resettles to better fit both of them.

Enjoy being impenetrable by chisels and tentacles!]

[rockymountaindie]

...Whoa. Would you look at that?

[ Is there anything else in this room before we move on? ]

[cannotunravel]

I hope the others are finding pieces of armor as well. They might need it.

[Can you imagine if these two end up having all the luck and the rest have a terrible time]

[letsplayamod]

[That's all she wrote for this little safe haven!

Where would we like to go next? Up the hallway from here or backtrack slightly to 2-C or 2-D?]

Rolled a 6

[rockymountaindie]

If it wouldn't really slow us down, I'd haul the others with us.

[ Here we go, 2-D we're coming at ya. ]

[letsplayamod]

[Let's goooooo, 2-D~!

Ah. You've hit your first setback- a path that wraps around right back to where you started.]

Roll 7!

[cannotunravel]

[It's not too difficult to recognize this place when they arrive back there. Misane looks around, frowning]

Wait...we came back all the way to the start. This wasn't a waste since we got armor, but...

[But we really went in a big circle. Misane returns to the hall they had entered the first time]

I remember seeing a crossroads. Time to check the other path.

[Aaaaall the way back to 2B, but this time, going in the direction opposite to the room with the armor chest! Now that we don't have anything to fear from chisels and tentacles, we can go on.

This only led them to the same room they had just been at. The empty chest proves it. Misane frowns. What a labyrinth this is turning out to be. Back into the secret passageway, and into 2C]

...this is the only hall we haven't been into yet...I think.

[If it takes her back to that room with the armor she won't know what to do]

[letsplayamod]

[A safe and normal path forward that quickly results in another split decision:

2-E or 2-F?]

Roll 10

[rockymountaindie]

[ After a dizzying turn about, in which Alex finds himself wishing he had a piece of paper so he could sketch this map while they go, they come to a new choice. ]

Okay... Uh... Let's try this way. [ 2-E! ]

[letsplayamod]

[At first, after the first rounding of the corner, 2-E looks like another a dead end. It's a labyrinth, of course there's going to be plenty of those.

However...Alex and Misane just hit one loop. In the moment they're a little more perceptive and, with that heightened perception, they'll see that certain parts of the labyrinth are less well-kept than others. There's a large chunk of floor missing right in front of them underneath the wall. Light shines through the gap.

It's going to be a tight squeeze for Alex specifically but at least you have armor now!]