THE TREASURE BELOW
Your Greatest Desires. Your Reward. Take it. Take it. Take it.
The darkness below the drop was wholly unnatural; no light would pierce it. It seemed to be a sea of not-light, of void, of nothing.
Those plunging (or gliding, climbing, etc) down would find themselves landing gently on a large, flat, dark plane walled on all sides, sheer. A jagged gap lay across the center, one hard (but not impossible) to jump. From this gap, however, shone a soft light--and what lay below appeared different for any who might gaze down into the pit. Too, a strong desire--an unnatural desire--to leap into the pit would seize any peering down. Perhaps their common sense, willpower or their experience in this place would suggest that they do otherwise... or perhaps not.
Thothaga would see it as the soft blue light of the Spire--yet gazing down, she would sense power immeasurable, power beyond imagination, all hers for the taking. She would see, too, the Collector below: the Collector awaiting her, her test passed.
Pride would see something somewhat similar: a pale glow, and within, power and knowledge, with various Gembound carrying crystals to and fro. Instinctively he would know that these crystals held memories, knowledge, stored there by prior generations. His reward would be the knowledge of aeons, the wisdom of the caves, his to take and to put to use for whatever goal he saw fit.
Wilder's vision would be a soft, flaming shimmer. Deep at the bottom of the pit she would see a gathering of Gembound around it, lying there with food, and drink, sharing stores and friendship. They looked up, welcoming her, calling her down by name--she had succeeded, they reassured her warmly, and she could join them now, at last. As one of them.
Yoosung would see something quite similar, though those welcoming him did so in his native tongue, and many shared his form: dogs, happy, their tails wagging and their tongues lolling, their eyes filled with joy just to catch sight of him. He would be home at last, no longer an outsider, but finally among friends, among family, among those who understood him completely.
Shango would see a quiet rainforest, not unlike Eridanus but even more of a jungle, pouring with rain. This was lit only by intermittent lightning, and creatures scurried to and fro below--but the storm was his, his to control, and those creatures and that world now belonged to him. All he had to do was leap down, and claim it.
Miru would see a soft golden glow, and far below, at the pit's bottom, a gathering of Gembound. Hers was like that of Yoosung, and Wilder, but again just a little different... an esoteric gathering, though friendly, of seers and magicians, practicing their craft in a sort of game that she would instinctively understand. Around them lay stone dishes of various foods, foods that smelled delightfully delicious and wholesome even from here. Joy was promised, a sense of home and peace and contentment.
Their rewards lay below.
All they had to do was jump.
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Gembound should roll to resist the effects of the Pit's final pull. Those who roll a Barely Successful may recognize things
not quite right about their visions... those with a Successful or higher may see through it completely, and will instead see a deep pit studded with vicious, pointed black spikes.
Those who fail might approach the pit, but should wait one round before leaping, so that any Gembound who see through it have ample time to attempt to stop them.
