One branch of the Training Dungeon Quest! Please read the main thread before choosing a section to explore.

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The Gembounds entering the "training" dungeon would need to split to enter one of its four branches. The tunnel beyond the initial, rusted steel gate was worn stone. In places this would change to obsidian, or even water, but in the second-to-left branch, the ground quickly turned into worn bricks. Stone had been hewn into your very stereotypical dungeon walls and floor, with water dripping here and there and snaking vines opening a path into... darkness.

The dim light of the tunnel entrance quickly shifted into deep shadow. The room ahead seemed high-ceilinged, straight-walled, like a great entrance hall but in dungeon-built style.

The question was... what else might lay within?

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Gembounds proceeding into the Ancient Ruins branch of the dungeon should roll for any form of perception. This may be an Other roll or magic perception of any kind, or a light source, and indeed, light will be needed for those who require vision to navigate. They may instead roll to prepare for specific threats if they may guess what they'll encounter. Posts will occur every four days; the next post will be on Saturday, June 7th, afternoon/evening GMT.


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He had learned about his exploration, his curiosity getting the better of him as he wandered down to the ruins. His nose worked as he moved closer, noticing how dark it was getting as he walked further into the ruins. For a moment be paused, sniffing around before drawing forward a wisp, letting its soft blue light illuminate the area around him.

Hello? He called out, taking a moment to look around. For now, he would wait, hanging out near the entrance as he waited to see if any other would be adventurer's joined in. He certainly didn't' know what he was doing and was much too young to feel comfortable doing this alone, but he figured why the hell not. Might as well see what he could find, and aid where he could.

Order had eyes everywhere. No one could deny this fact, especially not when they could witness it for themselves. Canis might've been purged, fire might've burnt through the fungus swathing Eridanus' greenery, but all alive who'd experienced the Hive's strategic dominance of these caves could remember well the boom in the population of glassy-eyed beasts there, shambling puppets of a force whose grasp reached far beyond tunnels hidden away in snow. Mother's brood hadn't been aware of Scorpio before, but it'd foolish to think its reestablished activities had slipped their notice. Lessers overheard and saw the traveling news of areas unexplored and Gembound being trained, and these sounds and images were promptly wired over to a more agile intellect to plan further movements. The well-being of their fellows a constant concern they tended to, evaluating the risks of this "dungeon" naturally fell to Halcyon. Their design, they reasoned, was optimal to scour tighter spaces.

Additionally, the very mention of descending into cramped darkness had set the larger of their comrades wailing in protest. What irrational behavior. Zero-One-Zero Skyreaver ought to have possessed enough sense to realize his services were the last that would be required for such a task. He needn't have fretted over being unable to stretch his wings to their full span.

Staff gripped in one paw and their silken bag of ammunition tied about their waist, Halcyon slipped into one of the dungeon's entrances on quiet feet. Practicing subterfuge, they'd smothered the glow of their fins until they lingered just behind the young canine who'd padded inside. A soft greeting fell from their jaws, and golden bioluminescence was unleashed in weak contribution to the lone floating wisp's light. Not the best at interacting with those outside the hivemind, and disinclined to after far less appealing encounters, they let their friendly appearance speak for itself. However, straight-backed posture indicated any assault due to their nature would not go unpunished.

Fish-like eyes scanned the area, ever striving to be attentive to trouble. Their staff they settled over a shoulder in preparation to arm its sling if anything burst out of the void that lay before them.

It'd been... A while, since Spark had been out last. It was a little embarrassing to think about.

Their anxieties had, unfortunately, been given plenty of time to fester in their idleness. They shrank low amidst the travelling crowd, barely noticed. That was fine by them - but now they'd chosen their path through the dark ruins they were forced into closer proximity with the few who'd followed.

They seemed nice enough. One even looked a little like Spark, albeit with an odd uncanny edge.

In preparation, they attempted to bring forward their inner fire, lighting the path ahead with their own glow - though the light would be weak, even if they succeeded.

With the Master's permission, Eleven had joined the explorers. Because treasure is fucking awesome, actually. And she really, really wanted some.

We'll keep this short, then. The others didn't talk, so she didn't either - but it should be noted that there was... Something about Halycon that made her feel nervous. She wasn't sure what, yet.

Eleven had her natural bioluminescence, but it didn't carry as far as she'd like. She strained to make out what was past that curtain of shadow, alongside the rest of the group.

Fleas padded in from the back, quiet besides the jingling of her collar. "Mm hefed afed," she mumbled through the stick in her mouth, and began to weave through the group of gembound. She was careful with the torch in her teeth, jaws clamped tight and giving the other gembound a wide berth as so many scenarios of dropping it on herself or someone else played through her head.

There were already a lot of gembound here. The giant, winged dog and that glowy one made her nervous, but the white, upright one was kinda...cute? She probably shouldn't tell them that. It'd be weird to tell a stranger they looked like a baby. The black short dog she was sure was a baby, at least. What if they were all babies? It was probably for the best that she go towards the front of the group, ahead of most of them to make sure she spotted anything before it came to them, though the idea reminded her worringly of parenting.

Fleas struggled to see anything, however. She wasn't very good at whatever modiculm of parenting this was. She was too distracted by the gembound behind her, anxious about their intentions, and realizing that being ahead set her up for the perfect ambush.

I used to think that the day would never come
I'd see the light in the shade of the morning sun

The allure of treasure and adventure (but mostly treasure) drew Callista to the dungeon, eagerly stepping up behind one of the groups about to walk into what looked like ruins. Like overgrown Orion, is what immediately came to mind.

This time, she had a sharpened shard of bone in her paws, which she rolled from one hand to the other absentmindedly as she stepped up behind the other bigger gembound. Her head tilted and she craned her neck, trying to see past them, but it was so, so dark. The one that was glowing was certainly helping, and she herself had a faint glow to her fur, AND she naturally had reflective nightvision eyes, but it was still pitch black and dark.

"Anyone see anything? What is this anyways? Is there stuff to find?"


That my life would depend on the evening moon
That the night would never comе

It was dark. Darker than Angel had ever seen, but they hadn't seen much. Holding their wing close, Angel held their arm up, the rope wrapped around their bracer illuminating the space around them and casting their shadow.

They didn't like this darkness. Pinning their ears back, Angel gruffed unhappily, their tail rattling softly behind them as they followed Fleas. They'd ask if anybody saw anything, but... no, they didn't feel like asking, investigating for themself first while casting the light out towards the walls.

Yew walks into the dungeon with wings pulled close to her sides. She'd heard the news and figured trying something new would be good... Only to be met with darkness. Yew does not have the capabilities to light the way, and she'd not come prepared at all. Thankfully many of the others bear some way to have light, and Yew actually sees a familiar maw while looking through them.

Choosing to approach Genghis, Yew relaxes slightly at a familiar face. Even if he's just a pup. "Helllo ag-a-in" She tells him. If he doesn't want her to walk with him, she'll move.

She takes note of the others, keeping in mind the ones with the lights just in case. Magic can only last so long.

@Genghis

To spare the audience a heaping pile of nuanced waffling, Menkheperre has resolved to engage in some more intensive exposure therapy (for his shut-in nature, to be quite clear!) than just lounging on the palace lawn: Following the curious word on the wind about a thrilling series of dungeons on Lacerta, and joining up with the rather large collection of total strangers to venture into the dark.

Of course, he frets momentarily over Surgis venturing into the smokiest doorway of the four, but... Well, she has to experience some danger to be better-studied in the ways of the world, but he isn't going to risk burning any of his coloring books that he's brought with him to pass the time.

She's well enough safe with the veritable menagerie of strangers that she has gone running off with, and this particular path seems more like a fantastical dungeon that he'd read about once or twice. Curious, damp and dark with uniform, worn bricks.

Some of his newfound companions were smart enough to take up an offer for baubles and lights to carry, but Menkheperre hadn't wanted to burden himself with such a thing, and thus turned to magic instead. This passageway was already scarcely large enough for himself to pass through, and that was with him compressing himself as best one can, politely letting the small lights of the others by to investigate as well. He needn't further unbalance himself by walking on three limbs the whole time; or worse, start drooling on the floor because his mouth is full of baubled stone.

(Never mind that he could have taken some of the rope instead.)

The Valkhound looks toward the nearest wall, guiding his light toward it in search of something very befitting of a dungeon-crawling fantasy novel: Some writing on the wall, perhaps? An old script to show us the way? If there is nothing there, at the very least he can ogle at the craftsmanship clearly made to last.

... or be utterly blinded regardless of result, orb exploding with a catastrophic and imaginary BANG! directly in front of his already light-sensitive eyes, drawing a yelp of surprise that only being flashbanged could elicit.