The Fe'gan Mountains are the highest, coldest mountains Lambastia has to offer, with the highest peak recorded at 8589 m (28,179 ft). Only the toughest creatures survive here, and the trek to get to the Basantha Shrine lays through these harsh conditions. (+3 Endurance)

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Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 7:24 AM

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With the gassy bird-brain out of the way and a map acquired – if this thing could even be called a map – Victor was primed and ready to begin his mission. As appealing as it was to write with one of the nutty professor’s butt feathers, he’d made the executive decision to swap it out for a quill of his own, and with it and his supplies tucked neatly into his rucksack, it was time to make a move.

Of course, in the interest of whatever loot could’ve been lurking in the caves, he wasn’t going to rely on the strength of one man alone.

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You sure we’ll find anything in this hovel?” Sven looked about as sceptical as one could get, and as lightly prepared as ever. It was his belief that he had no need to carry any goods that could weigh him down. If he had his blade, he was plenty prepared for whatever they could face. “Seems a wild goose chase to me.

Something like that,” Victor answered with a wince, recalling the Skyllard’s trumpeting, in more than one sense of the word. “Hey, it’s worth a shot. Got nothin’ better going on.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 1:23 PM

Speak for yourself, bud,” Sven said with a shrug, digging his hands deep into his pockets. “I got a lot of stuff going on!

Oh yeah? Like what?” Victor pressed. Sven’s following silence and aggravated huff was enough to tell him all he needed to know. “That’s what I thought.

The mountains were a familiar place to neither of them, with Victor being a strict city dweller and Sven preferring the shelter and intimate links of canals and waterways. Against the darkened sky, the outlines looked imposing and unfriendly. They were meant to enter the bowels of these beasts and seek out treasure and triumph – but what of the dangers that could lurk inside? Victor could write it off as an opportunity as much as he liked, but there was no hiding the slight tremor he felt to look upon something potentially deadly.

They were rapidly approaching the mouth of the cave. There was no backing out now.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 2:07 PM

Victor stood at the entrance to the cave with a grim expression. There was nothing discernible from looking into the darkness; no figures, no definite path or scale, nothing. Staring at the map was useless too, considering there was nothing to be read on it. How could he even know that there wasn't a sheer drop waiting for him the moment he took a step inside?

There was no knowing. That was why he felt such a pleasing tingle of fear and suspense. Sven didn't look like he shared that thrill, but it mattered little - he would tag along in the hopes of finding something shiny, even if that meant risking his hide.

"Mate," Sven muttered, his tone hushed, as he craned his neck to stare deeper into the emptiness without having to set foot inside. "This is so fuckin' stupid. We're gonna die."

"Give over, drama queen."
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 2:48 PM

Sven shot Victor a disdainful look. Getting killed through this ludicrous plot hadn't been on his schedule, even if hardly anything else had been. Even his informants hadn't been able to dig up any information on the so-called professor and his proposition; no one had talked to him or been into the mountains to check out the site, other than to scout out the corpses. They'd died as it had been told, after a fall. Nothing suspicious or interesting.

"We better find somethin' worthwhile," He huffed with a shake of his head. Inside his pocket, he ran his fingers over the rough shape of a peridot making its home there - a good luck charm, something shiny to bring around to attract further wealth and prosperity. At least, that was the desire. "Swear to god, mate. I ain't gonna drag you outta here on my back or any shit."
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 3:07 PM

"As if. You haven't got the muscle for it. You're like a wet paper towel," Victor scoffed, motioning up and down at his companion's weedy form. Sven was built for stealth and subtlety, not strength - his muscles were barely there at best, and the sharp angles of his bones under his skin implied that he didn't keep himself well fed. It was fine by him, it was exactly the kind of frame he needed for his work, but it didn't stop him scowling in annoyance.

"You're fuckin' huge, what am I meant to do about that?" He replied. While standing next to each other, the foot of height difference was blindingly obvious, as well as the bulk of Victor in comparison. "Just get in this cave before I die of boredom. God damn."

That was that. The unlikely pair took their first step into the black.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 3:26 PM

Victor had pulled out his flashlight, shining it along the initial pathway down into the depths of the cavern, and almost didn't notice when their surroundings began to brighten. It took Sven nudging enthusiastically and pointing upwards at an open hole in the roof to get him to flip the switch. It certainly was a way down.. it was a good job they hadn't brought Cecil along, because he'd be throwing up and whining within ten minutes.

"Check this shit out, man!" Considering his previous hesitance, Sven sounded elated, gazing up at the light filtering in with a silly smirk on his face. "Cool, right? You think this is where they fell down and smashed their skulls open?"

"Yeesh. You're cheery as ever," Victor muttered.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 3:38 PM

As far as Victor could tell, there were two main paths they could go down - one to the left, more obscure and dark, and one to the right, tapering off into a far lighter tunnel. Taking the easy route would seem the most appealing, but any number of things could be lurking in plain sight - in his line of work, he was taught to expect the unexpected, and so the path less travelled was his preferred avenue. Unsurprisingly, though, Sven was going to turn his nose up at a ridiculous idea like that.

"This way, pal," Victor nodded towards the darker route, already beginning to head in that direction. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that Sven was shooting him a repulsed look.

"Are you fuckin' kidding me?"

"Nope."
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 4:04 PM

Victor flipped the switch on the flashlight and aimed it into the darkness. As expected, there was nothing shocking or alarming to see - just weathered grey walls, moss, and the occasional dribble of water. With a bit of luck, they'd find some kind of underground pond or river for Sven to slither off into, and he wouldn't have to bother dragging him along on a route he found disagreeable. Going in different directions would cover more ground in less time.

Even so, going it alone could get one or both of them killed if they stumbled across anything untoward. At least if they stuck together, they'd have somewhat of a chance.

"What have you been up to since I last saw you?" There was no harm in a little small talk.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 4:07 PM

"Why? You wanna get your nose into some business, mate?" Sven affixed his cheeky smile into place with minimal effort, ready for the hard sell if need be. "You know it'll cost ya a lil' bit."

"I'm just trying to be polite and care about your life, Sven. I can stop if that's too much for you," Victor retorted with a roll of his eyes.

Casual chatter was rather an awkward topic for Sven, and as such, he looked down at the uneven stone floor with a shrug. To him, every word had its own value. Anything he said could be used against him if need be, sold on to the highest bidder, and thus revealing anything at all was a scary prospect. He was the best at his work because he was relatively untraceable and clean in the eyes of the law; having that facade marred would reduce his customer base dramatically.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 4:11 PM

Sven didn't say anything immediately, and thankfully, Victor didn't push him. It was fine by him to walk along in silence, shining the flashlight over the ground in front of them before they stepped on it. No point dropping randomly into the face of the earth and ending up like those poor beggars.

Other than their soft breathing, the dripping of distant water was audible. Something about that particular cavern felt moist and damp; Victor couldn't say he wasn't paranoid about it suddenly flooding and sweeping them away. Sven would have no issue, but he wasn't the strongest swimmer himself, and he doubted Sven would waste time hauling his ass to safety. Would he even be able to manage it? Kid was tiny.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 4:17 PM

The skittering of stones as Victor kicked some loose rubble caught Sven's attention. Eyes alight, he crouched at the site of the rocks, fingers deftly skimming through them in search for anything of value. After a moment or so, he lifted his head and his hand with a triumphant smile - something small and glimmering sat in his palm.

"Gold?" Victor asked, tipping his head before leaning in to inspect the object closely.

"Fool's gold," Sven corrected, a little more excitedly than the discovery warranted. "It's pyrite!"

"Then why are you so excited, you idiot?"

"It's fuckin' shiny, you pleb!"

Shiny. That was about all that was important to Sven, or so it seemed. Victor strode onwards quickly with the hopes that his companion would have to jog to keep up, and thus forget about his nonsense.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 4:20 PM

How much further? Victor pulled the map from his rucksack as well as his own quill, scribbling down a quick diagram of what he had seen so far. He was no artist by any means, but it did the job - he wasn't too concerned about whether the bonkers professor could figure it out, as long as he picked up some good stuff for his troubles. Let the Skyllard come in and wander around himself! Why couldn't he, anyway? Too afraid?

The thought made him smile indulgently to himself. Not everyone could thrive off of fear and danger like he did, but laughing at those people who allowed others to do their dirty work for them never got old. They'd pay him all sorts to keep their hands clean.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 5:23 PM

What opened out before them was more exciting for one party than the other - an underground lake! Victor didn't have to look at Sven to know that he was elated - within seconds, the boy was pelting towards the water, and he dived in without a second look. What an idiot. That could have been a volcanic pool, and the flesh could have been melted from his bones!

"I'm stayin' here for a bit!" Sven called with enthusiasm. What a surprise. Even fully clothed, he looked graceful bobbing around in the waters, with no concern for the temperature.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don't take too long, I'm not waiting for you forever."
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 5:27 PM

Victor turned his back on the lake and the happy boy within it in favour of trapsing back down towards the entrance. It didn't look like there was any way around the lake - he scribbled that down on the map for reference - so they'd have to go into the lighter area. God. He wasn't looking forward to that very much, but there was nowhere else to go.

It was kinda atmospheric, though. The cave. His footsteps echoing as he went, the glint of his flashlight beam off of the trails of water, the skittering of loose stones at his feet.. he could appreciate why people chose this kind of venue as a home for shady operations.
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Re: Expedition [Caving] [L] [H by Z]

Postby Isalynne » 08/17/2017 5:45 PM

That wasn't his style, though. Not in the least. Victor preferred something unexpected, where he wouldn't be picked up on his shady operations simply because no one would believe they were happening. Perhaps he could take a few tips from Sven in reality; the boy had never been caught, was still a respectable citizen in the eyes of all who didn't know his trade, and always knew exactly where he did and didn't need to be.

Speaking of which, where was he at? Hopefully he wouldn't take forever lounging around in the water like an idiot. Sure, his kind liked water, but that was a little extreme when they had work to do.
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