Turn 30: Just put everything inside that moves
Clarifications (since the actions don't make sense otherwise)
Helskaya, Taren, Apollo, Remy are in the puzzle room.
Elenor, Komas, Maka are in the jungle room and will automatically move to the puzzle room come the end of turn because of incoming nasties.
Taren:Clean feet.
Taren moved up over by Remy's side. Shifting his blade to Fire, and proceeding with the best way possible to aid leg recovery.
(4) You shuffle to the next bush and try to clean your boots. They cost you 21 cp! Hopefully they're not going to stink afterwards. After getting most of the... stuff off your boots and cleaning out the accursed holes, you flip the hilt's switch, because, hey, fire. Planting it in the ground near Remy so that he has something to warm his fingers on, you move on to Helskaya, but he doesn't want your help. Seems that he's going to be fine soon enough, the regeneration will just need time.
Elenor:(6) You really need a break. Too much stupidity and near-death experiences for your tastes. A short look around confirms that there's only two people left here with you - there's a stampede incoming, you're sure of it. Maka seems spaced out, so you shrug and tow her in... Komas reacts violently when you try to do the same to him, so you leave him alone. Whatever.
The cavern you tug Maka through, following the foottracks of the other explorers, is actually quite pretty. You notice a lumiscient crystal on the wall and break it off to use it as a torch, then continuing down the path.
This cavern is surprisingly linear, and surprisingly boring.
Ruins. Puzzle. Huh. Well, they seem to want to solve that on their own, and that's good for them, you guess. At this point you don't want to be bothered by it. You decide to take a second look at the other parts of the ruin.
Actually, on closer inspection, the walls of the ruin are, for lack of a better word, cluttered. Covered in overgrowths of vines, littered with statues, or the renmants of it, there's one well on the left side, clinging to the wall, that's apparently getting flooded through a pipe. There is no real ceiling either, what you at first thought looked like a ceiling are in fact distant treetops. There might be a way out to the sides.
There also is a large stone door on the far end of the room. You give it a tentative shove, and it doesn't really react - either it is locked, or just stuck. There's one indentation, but it looks more like the teeth of time took a bite out of it. In fact, there is actually a hole you can peek through, but the other side is dark. The crystal doesn't change anything about that, not a small room thus.
You're tired. This bundle of skins looks comfy...
Apollo:(2) This is a classic hen-and-egg problem, you realize while pondering the situation. To get rid of the skins, furs, and several attached bloody entrails that are tightly wrapping your entire body in the shape of a soccer ball, you need free usage of your hands. To have free usage of your hands, you need to get rid of the skins, furs, and several attached bloody entrails that are tightly wrapping your entire body in the shape of a soccer ball.
You opt to scream for help. Elenor rolls around a bit.
Helskaya:Take out magic bong. Take out ONE slice of magic. Combine, whilst reflecting on how to solve the switch problem. Add another slice if this doesn’t work. Also continue regenerating leg. Take a mana potion at the end of my reflection period if it might be useful.
(4) You get stoned, business as usual.
It strikes you that all switches probably operate in the same manner. Apart from the center switch, that one's evil.
Then it strikes you that the trips you get down here in the labyrinth are so much more vivid than the ones above.
Then you see tentacle monsters riding tentacled unicorns, and you are okay with that.
Then you see the Queen wildly arguing with someone. Perhaps her mirror image.
Then you see a tentacled Maka riding a tentacled Jelly. Huh, that's almost too normal.
Then you see Ratherio trying to seduce the embodiment of chaos with the lamest pick up line you ever heard. The embodiment of chaos looks desperate.
Then you see a swirling vortex of colors, with gold and black being a bit dominant.
Maka:Search Gene Engineering Book for something relevant to the current situation.
(5) "Chapter 27: How to modify jellies to remote control them through magic"
Score.
Maka begins to take notes, furiously, then is nudged down the cavern by Elenor, then works furiously in the ruins. An inexplicable wooden bathtub is involved.
Remy:Flip the A switch.
"I think I know how this puzzle works. Stand back!"
(3) You hit the A switch in an overly dramatical manner.
Nothing happens for a moment slightly too long to be a dramatic pause.
Then, Maka loudly yells "EUREKA!", startling you.
When you look back to the chains, there's now a Chain A but no more Chain B or Chain D.
A toweled Maka runs you over.
Komas>Whilst everyone else is being useless, hook a chunk of wolf meat and my lobster onto my fishing line, then lower it into the volcanically heated spring so cleverly discovered by Elenor.
>If this turns out to be a viable method of cooking, cook the rest of the meat, too.
(6) Is this spring at optimal cooking temperature? Your thumb confirms that. Meat ready? Check.
Actually, a stew would be far better, but what to store it in...? Oh, yes,
your carapace would do well for that. Now throw in the lobster, the herbs, some jelly for taste and a pinch of ichor... oh, right, rock salt would do well. Stir it a bit with the oar, and some more meat...
...
Some time later, Komas barges into the ruin with an improvised wheelbarrow full of delicious stew with the lobster swimming inside.
--
It's getting dark. Perhaps you should call it a day soon, the ruins seem pretty safe altogether and some people (Elenor) are already quite tired. Someone would need to be the sentry, though.
--
The main distinguishing features of this ruin are one control-panel-esque thing with nine switches in a 3x3 pattern, five of which appear to be flipped on. The panel is on a face of a grand stone pedestal, and far above the stone pedestal there is a treasure chest supported by six chains. There is a large letter on the column each chain is anchored to that corresponds with the letters on the switches, except for the middle switch, which has no column equivalent.
The switches are arranged like this:
abC
dxE
GhI
And the chains are arranged in this pattern:
AbC
dTe
gHI
T is the treasure chest. The chains are of magical nature, and as long as there is at least one chain left the chest will stay afloat.
Capital letters = switch flipped on/there is a chain, lower case = switch flipped off/no chain.
--
Everyone's in Tiruin's cavern, or rather, the switch room.
Character sheets.
Helskaya Arkut (lawastooshort)
Status: Through yogic power this leg shall heal
Injuries: Missing a smaller chunk of his left rear leg. < This is currently regenerating. Should not strain it too hard. Indigestion.
Equipment: Pair of knives (one large, one small),
northern white bear jawbone on necklace, northern white bearskin.
Inventory: Wet stone, firestone, pot, spoon, three leather pouches varying in size, pestle and mortar, dried meat rations for several plus more days, filled waterskin, flour, Lesser Herbal Medicine, Lesser Blade Poison, Rusty Axe, random precious metal baubles, two lumps of crystallized magic, nine magic slices, lesser diluted mana potion x2, potion of okay healing x2, stoneskin potion, 60 cp, magic bong.
Skills: Herbal Medicine; Shamanic Magic; Knowledge (Legends of the North)
Spells:
Shining Shamanic Healing Finger!, Transform: Raging North Bear, Summon Water Elemental
Elenor Warsen (Caellath)
Status: Half-asleep.
Injuries: Several semi-deep cuts on left shoulder. Scalded.
Equipment:
Masterwork Armor, Longsword, Crossbow,
Dragon Crest Shield, small well-crafted crossbow,
Magic Sapping Amulet.
Inventory: Medical kit, small supplies bag, 0 cp, Potion of Lesser Healing, Painkiller Potion, Gibberish Paper, Map Shred, Rations Listing, some longbolt ammo.
Skills: Result-oriented swordsmanship, Dodger's Agility, Marksmanship, Medical care, Taunting, Dabbling Investigator [1].
Spells: None. He's notoriously unmagical.
Apollo Anderson (Spinal_Taper)
Status: Wrapped up in bloody furs - unable to move, except through rolling. Head peeks out. Still sick, and he's getting really warm.
Injuries: Rock firmly embedded in face. A bunch of bumps.
Equipment: Reinforced lab coat, cheap leather armor,
Dagger,
Rudimentary Rifle, Officer's Scimitar
Inventory: Bullets[inf], Enchanted Bullets[11], Gunpowder, various pouches and bags, Experimental Painkiller (?) Potion, 119 cp, Bear teeth, One Bear Ass, Ammo Mod.
Skills: Alchemy: Chemistry, Alchemy: Potion brewing, Alchemic Magic: Rudimentary Enchantments (quantum amount +2), Metal Working (quantum amount +1).
Spells: Enchantment: Better wearability!, Piercing [?] Bullet Enchantments
Taren Creyn (Tiruin)
Status: Blessed.... with dribbling skills. Hilt Charge: 90% (Ice), 55% (Fire), 100% (Lightning)
Injuries: Slowly he realizes how cold his legs actually were. Still numb, but out of the danger zone.
Equipment:
Broadsword, Crossbow, Longbolt ammunition (quantum amount -4), white cloak, grey tunic, belt, solid holey leather boots,
buckler.
Inventory: Whet stone, one filled waterskin, Cloth, lots of rations, ratman cloth, 118 cp, Element Hilt.
Skills: White Magic: Healing, Anatomy, Swordsmanship, Marksmanship
Spells:
Menscur, Fogili, Nonsens, Mendia,
Leonic Cleanse,
Vi Vanita,
Vento Aureo.
Komas Hopatke (Yoink)
Status: More gruff than usual.
Injuries: Thorn punctures, some stuck in. Cold, but not life-threateningly so.
Equipment:
One large, battered wooden oar named Heinkel, Worn and poorly-made sealskins, An eyepatch, iron boning knife.
Inventory: Fishing pole, bait, compass, immortal tasty lobster, 100 cp, large wheelbarrow of spicy mystery stew.
Skills:
Rowing,
Cooking,
Fishing,
Navigation.
Spells: Nnnope.
Remy Maelle (Remaelle)
Status: Serious magic exhaustion.
Injuries: Minus five toes and right middle finger. Slightly chilled.
Equipment: A spirit talisman, knife, leather armour, traveling clothes, a backpack, Vintage pair of Chain Revolvers, buckler, 0 cp.
Inventory: Bedroll, rope, tinderbox, enough food to last a few days,
Debt notice,
officer's helmet, Contract, Gunchucks Guide Book w/ Leaflet, Remote Control Tape.
Skills:
Shamanistic Magic: Elementalism, Agility, Quick Reflexes, Hand-to-Hand Combat,
Gunchucks Usage.
Spells:
MEGA BRAND,
Perfect Freeze,
Flare Arrow Maka R'lyeh-Voile (IronyOwl)
Status: Still energetic, somewhat magnetic. Somewhat burned out by now.
Injuries: None (that she notices).
Equipment:
Magical golden scepter, Very Frilly Towel, Backpack
Inventory:
Surgeon's Kit, 105 cp, Book: Gene Engineering, Fleshgrafting and You, Snail Shell, Very Frilly Dress, Electro-Jelly-inna-cage (loyal, remote-controlled servant), Belt w/ pouches, Fun Gun.
Skills: Creating Servants, Alchemic Magic: Augmenting Living Stuff, Dodging, Black Magic: Curses.
Spells:
Psycho Shackles.