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[Radio Controlled]

AsHul starts to speak two or three times, but restrains himself as Adam speaks. In the end, he grunts with a sound closer to a squawk than a grunt, nods twice, and falls silent.

"Thank you, Ashul. I cannot even imagine how heavy the burden the saint placed upon you must weight, so thank you for calming down and letting us work this out so that we may avoid unnecessary death.

Now, do you think we should indeed try to listen in, assuming diving can even pierce this mysterious wall?"

Clate holds up a tentacle

"Actually, someone elaborate for this crystalline non-cthonic. What are the consequences of that being getting out again? I've been rather busy thinking on how to save my adopted race from complete extinction, so I may or may not have missed a few important points"

"Well, my crystalline friend, consider this: in the far-away past, when beings such as that robotic monstrosity were in their multitudes and man was at the zenith of its power and hubris, god came down, smote their mightiest works and, in his mercy, remade the very world itself into the one we live in today and gave us a second chance.

God and man already squared of once in the past, and god saw it fit to only cast us from our perch instead of eradicating us. I won't let that thing in there go in for round 2 and give god an excuse to finish the job, or it could mean the end of every sentient being, perhaps even life itself, in the underground.

Note that you don’t even need to solely believe the church’s teachings on this one, for what the warrior itself proclaimed corresponds to these stories."

Kara's feathers puffed involuntary and her now clenched fist trembled slightly.
"'Out of respect for our camaraderie'" she responded with barely restrained anger "I won't respond to your threats and insults with ones of my own."
She took a few short breaths in an attempt to calm herself down somewhat. She felt the urge to raise her hand to wipe the tears starting to gather in her eyes but stopped herself, for she felt that doing so would somehow make her look even weaker.
"I will instead point out that the only one overreacting and endangering people here is you two. If you really think you are not, then please, explain to me how all of this is helpful."

"Threats? Oh my dear, it is not a threat, but a mercy.

After all, had you been any random Corven instead of a comrade I’ve fought side by side with, or if I were any other faithful diver for that matter, then the moment the last of those absurdly heretical words left your beak you would have found your brain turned to rice pudding. However, I could scarcely believe you would have meant that, so I stayed my hand. But now that the imminent threat is over, we still need to ascertain where your true allegiance lies. And for this there are but two tools: your words, or my magic.

So I will ask again: are you, or are you not, on our side?"

[Parisbre56]

"Your double standards would be funny if they weren't so infuriating. You accuse me of lying and yet you can't fathom the possibility I was lying to our enemy to make it easier to kill."

"But to answer your question, I'm on our side, if by our side you mean the side of our bore crew. I will do my best to help this crew, each member of it. I will help Clate restore his race. I will help Alex with his research. I will help you with killing that thing. And I will chase my dreams as hard as I can. All the others who wish to hold power over me, the Archives, the Church, the warrior, they can all burn for all I care. If I have anything to gain from them I'll accept it, if I can save their people from misfortune I will do so, but I hold neither love for nor loyalty to them. Look into my mind, if it will satisfy you, and you will find the same."

[Ozarck]

"Thank you, Ashul. I cannot even imagine how heavy the burden the saint placed upon you must weight, so thank you for calming down and letting us work this out so that we may avoid unnecessary death.

Now, do you think we should indeed try to listen in, assuming diving can even pierce this mysterious wall?"

"I am willing to try to observe through Diving, or to bind Alex to speak the full truth, in our language, of what is said in there. I think it disastrous to leave one member in control of information in battle, especially when that member explicitly states that they wish to retain that control for themselves." AsHul waves aggressively in the direction of the pilgrims who followed them this far.

"Was I really there? The only one that thing spoke to is you. For all I know you made all this up. For all I know that thing over your head is just a simple diving trick or something completely unrelated to the killing of this creature. But I didn't doubt you, I helped to the best of my ability. I merely objected to the methods you used and stated clearly that talking with it first was the better option, an opinion you didn't discuss with me at the time."

"Neither was I there when you had your secret meetings with the church nor was I consulted when you decided to give the flame to the church, to some person you barely know and have no idea what they'll do with it. So why should I consult you about how to handle it? Why should I not search for knowledge, for my own answers, so I can make a better decision? Why should I not do what I think is best? Do you fancy yourself to have some position of power over me? Do you think that I should do whatever you say, simply due to your strength or your connections?"

"Witnessing that sort of behavior, what you did then and what you're doing now, and knowing the sort of reputation your people have, you can see why I would be reluctant to share everything I know with you. When I know that if you do not agree with my choices you'd try to force me to change them or even get the Church to kill me. But even then I never lied to you or undermined your objective or threatened you or tried to control you. The only one I lied to is that creature. Because I lack physical strength and powerful weapons, because the only thing I can hope to use to help is my tongue and my mind."

"And before you claim you're doing all this for the greater good, because you know what's best, I'll remind you that despite your power you're a fallible and ignorant being like the rest of us. So are the people of your Church, perhaps worse because unlike you they are also motivated by politics and their desire to retain their power. Don't expect me to be bound by their word as if it is God's."

"Yes, I am a fallible and ignorant being. and I am well aware of how we abominations are viewed in the eyes of the people. I could hardly be blind to that. And I, a fallible, misshapen being, stood face to face with a remnant of the war that destroyed an entire world and drove us from Glory to shame. I acted to the best of my small knowledge, and will make no apologies for it!"

[Pancaek]

After listening to Adam, a soft chiming sound can be heard from Clate once or twice, his way of hmmm'ing. The writing appears in neat, ordered lines at a steady pace.

I hear your words. Wether I fully believe them is of no consequence right now. The being in the cist claims to know not about the crystal race, so I don't particularely care what happens to it.

Understand though. That I'll cooperate fully because we are friends and bore mates, not because of any allegiance to your religion.

He turns toward Ashul first, then to Adam, all the crystal golems shifting at the exact same time as Clate does. The writing appears slower this time, making deeper gashes and more ragged cracks upon his body.

Understand also that I do not appreciate the hostile tone and casual threats towards myself and, more pressingly, friend Kara. Your seeming willingness to invade the minds of your comrades using dangerous diving magic is frankly offensive. I will not tell friend Kara what to do, but any attempt to enter my mind uninvited is at your own peril.

[Ozarck]

"You were here as well, Friend Clate, when the Warrior declared it's intention to dismantle the world as we know it. Perhaps you think you would escape that battle through the mysteries of your adoptive race. Perhaps you are right. I doubt I would ever be so lucky."

[Pancaek]

"Oh, probably not. I doubt not this Warrior has the power to destroy a lowly being as myself. But the Overmind will endure, you can be sure of that.

What the Warrior does or does not intend is not, however, an excuse for the hostile behaviour of both of you. I like to believe that both you and Adam are better than this."

[Parisbre56]

"Yes, I am a fallible and ignorant being. and I am well aware of how we abominations are viewed in the eyes of the people. I could hardly be blind to that. And I, a fallible, misshapen being, stood face to face with a remnant of the war that destroyed an entire world and drove us from Glory to shame. I acted to the best of my small knowledge, and will make no apologies for it!"

"Well, good for you! But from where I'm standing it was a stupid choice. Now stop being and asshole and open the damn door before something happens to Alex! And if something has happened to him, I won't forgive you."

[Naturegirl1999]

((Sorry for taking so long))

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 Name:Rhea Alcove
Description: A female human with blonde hear. She holds a Hooked Cleaver in her right hand and wears a Mail Shirt for protection. She wears a denim shirt and denim jeans, along with tennis shoes.
Goal: To explore and learn as much as she can

Stats:
Str:11
Dex:10
Spe:10
End:10
Awa:11
Cun:12
Kno:11
Ner:12

Skills:
Weapon Skill(Cleaver): 1
Diving: 1
Unarmed: 1
Persuasion: 1
Defense Skill(Mail Armor): 1
Survival: 1
Biological: 1
Caving: 1
Navigation: 1
Animal Handling: 1
Geology: 1

Inventory:
130 Fathoms
Free Clothing
Worm Blood x1
Organic/Bio Junk x6
Hooked Cleaver
Mail Shirt
Relic Fragment
Crystal Egg Creature
Grappling Hook

How about we head back to the shops and such? Probably more interesting then standing out here
Attempt to convince the pilgrims I’m watching to head over to the small town that’s here, stop any that try getting towards the rest of the group

[Radio Controlled]

"Your double standards would be funny if they weren't so infuriating. You accuse me of lying and yet you can't fathom the possibility I was lying to our enemy to make it easier to kill."

"But to answer your question, I'm on our side, if by our side you mean the side of our bore crew. I will do my best to help this crew, each member of it. I will help Clate restore his race. I will help Alex with his research. I will help you with killing that thing. And I will chase my dreams as hard as I can. All the others who wish to hold power over me, the Archives, the Church, the warrior, they can all burn for all I care. If I have anything to gain from them I'll accept it, if I can save their people from misfortune I will do so, but I hold neither love for nor loyalty to them. Look into my mind, if it will satisfy you, and you will find the same."

"What I cannot fathom is how you would ever think it a good idea not to warn people that you are willing to deceitfully pledge allegiance to a heretical monster in the middle of its lair. It barely even matters how well we know or trust you, a situation as tense and dangerous as the one we knowingly walked into is not the time to start dropping bombshells like that! Any faithful could have mistakenly taken those words at face value and acted on instinct in the heat of the moment, with potentially deadly consequence. To not give a single bit of warning beforehand when there was such ample opportunity is beyond naive. Seriously, all it would have taken was "Hey guys, I might say some pretty wild things out there to that warrior once the wall opens up, but no worries, 't is but a clever ruse!", and that's it. If you truly value your friends as much as you claim, then fucking talk to them.

Ah, but I suppose I shouldn't berate any one person too much on this point, for it seems that critical communication failures are the theme of the day.

In any case, your words of commitment to our crew are good enough, at least for me. I believe you, and see no need to apply the powers beyond to verify them."

Then he turns to the abomination and shouts: "Ashul, for what it's worth, I think that this one is good for it. What say you?"

"Speaking of failures to establish intent and plans beforehand, that brings us to the topic of what to do with Alex. As was pointed out, he did indeed construct half of the device with which we aimed to do the job, which speaks well in his favor. Though we should probably verify it is indeed a functional bomb and not a convincing dud or elaborate firecracker. But the last-minute revelation to try and hide information from us through secret conversation with the warrior is most concerning indeed. As Nyw pointed out, his claim to both reserve control over the knowledge of the ancient humans and willingness to divulge it later on anyway is contradictory. What do we make of this? In fact," he turns to Nyw, who has been silent up till now, and asks, "honorable ancestor, what do you make out of all of this? Your kind is righteous and carries the wisdom of age, so please, if it behooves you, share with us your thoughts."

After listening to Adam, a soft chiming sound can be heard from Clate once or twice, his way of hmmm'ing. The writing appears in neat, ordered lines at a steady pace.
I hear your words. Wether I fully believe them is of no consequence right now. The being in the cist claims to know not about the crystal race, so I don't particularely care what happens to it.
Understand though. That I'll cooperate fully because we are friends and bore mates, not because of any allegiance to your religion.
He turns toward Ashul first, then to Adam, all the crystal golems shifting at the exact same time as Clate does. The writing appears slower this time, making deeper gashes and more ragged cracks upon his body.
Understand also that I do not appreciate the hostile tone and casual threats towards myself and, more pressingly, friend Kara. Your seeming willingness to invade the minds of your comrades using dangerous diving magic is frankly offensive. I will not tell friend Kara what to do, but any attempt to enter my mind uninvited is at your own peril.

"Good enough for me. Believe me, I am not enjoying any of this right now at all, and had we stuck to the plan to simply blow it up and be done with it we wouldn't even be in this mess. However, if I have to chose between my friends and the world, I would have to chose the world, for it contains my friends as well after all, on top of the teeming masses of innocent life."

[piecewise]

((Sorry for taking so long))

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 Name:Rhea Alcove
Description: A female human with blonde hear. She holds a Hooked Cleaver in her right hand and wears a Mail Shirt for protection. She wears a denim shirt and denim jeans, along with tennis shoes.
Goal: To explore and learn as much as she can

Stats:
Str:11
Dex:10
Spe:10
End:10
Awa:11
Cun:12
Kno:11
Ner:12

Skills:
Weapon Skill(Cleaver): 1
Diving: 1
Unarmed: 1
Persuasion: 1
Defense Skill(Mail Armor): 1
Survival: 1
Biological: 1
Caving: 1
Navigation: 1
Animal Handling: 1
Geology: 1

Inventory:
130 Fathoms
Free Clothing
Worm Blood x1
Organic/Bio Junk x6
Hooked Cleaver
Mail Shirt
Relic Fragment
Crystal Egg Creature
Grappling Hook

How about we head back to the shops and such? Probably more interesting then standing out here
Attempt to convince the pilgrims I’m watching to head over to the small town that’s here, stop any that try getting towards the rest of the group

[17]
The people refuse to leave but you do manage to convince them to back up further.

Try to use wizard eyes to keep track of the guy inside the cist and see what's going on there, if possible. Be careful when looking at it though, since I remember the warrior giving off a lot of light, don't wanna blind myself.

That image of the surface the ancient warrior had displayed had momentarily stunned Adam, so beautiful it was, even more idyllic than the stories he had heard. He knew he shouldn't let the promise of such a paradise distract him from the corrupted nature of this being, but for a moment he couldn't help himself.

However, the events that were now rapidly unfolding snapped him out of it with startling effectiveness.

"Ok, everyone, calm your tits, beaks or whatever you have. This situation is volatile but at least it's stable for now, so let's not do anything rash that will jeopardize our mission or our teammate's lives. Those that are loyal, at least." He added, with a meaningful glance.

So, right now I don't think any of us on either side of this godforsaken door has the possibility to open it aside from the holy blade given to you, brother Ashul, so we can decide on a plan and actually bloody communicate for a change, which would have prevented this mess from forming in the first place.

First of all, I think we should consider listening in on that conversation through a dive. Not because I wish to hear the heretical thoughts, but because I want to establish whether Alex is truly a traitor or merely catastrophically misguided. That would then determine whether we want to try and preserve him when we either destroy the warrior or leave them both sealed once more. That last point, let me be clear to any non-Cthonics among you, is non-negotiable here, we are not risking that thing getting out into the world. The consequences would be disastrous beyond your wildest nightmares.

Second of all, Kara, I need to know: are you on our side? Know that I can rip the unadulterated truth straight from your mind if I had to, but out of respect for our camaraderie I will not, even though your words back there were so absurdly vile I struggle to see how you even uttered them."

Spoiler: Adam Blavatsky Darvaza (click to show/hide)

Name: Adam Blavatsky Darvaza
Description: A young man of slightly pale complexion and eternal 9 o’clock shadow, he was raised in a small village. While the village priest and passing mystics droned with endless sermons of the Church and their teachings, what had always captivated young Adam’s attention more were the stories of his Granny.
Old stories of the world as it once was, before people were forced to flee to the caves and crannies of this damp hell. Of warm days where pleasant green plants tickled your feet as you walked through them and a cool breeze blew through your hair. Where food was plentiful, nature was benign and endless vistas reached as far as they eye could see.
Adam was nominally a card-carrying member of the church, though he mostly did it for the connections and perks that brought. They were powerful and had ancient lore, all things he would need to fulfill his true heart’s desire: to return to the surface, vanquish the madness that tainted their homeland and reconquer paradise.
After his encounter with a Word of God, the edges of his vision are flickering with black flame and his skin is extremely pale with what appear to be black veins instead of the normal blue ones. It also forced him to reevaluate his views on the cthonic church and god.
Goal: Plunge the secrets of the depths below to find an answer to the horrors above.
Stats
Str: 11
Dex: 11
Spe: 13
End: 12
Awa: 12
Cun: 11
Kno: 10
Ner: 14 
Skills
Diving: +3
Stealth: +2
Occult: +1
Flammenvision!
Inventory

Soldier's chestplate
Clothing: simple priest robes, currently worn long to hide the black veins
Rubber Suit

1 ethral rifle [7 rounds]  (pierce 3)
5x black flame
2x smoke bomb
1 flashbang

3 Silent Night
4 worm blood

1 minor artifact
1 beaker artifact (found in crystal ruins) => in locker
1 crystal construct

Transport mission papers
1 black book copy
1 black book
1 book "Artifacts of Faith"
1 empyrean city map
1 field lighter
1 radio
portal knives design
445 fathoms
4 unspent skillpoints
copy of cult papers
cult holy book
scribbled notes with faces of cult conspirators
lenses of telescope that can look through solid matter
slabs with the history of the crystal people
mysterious cult chest

- 1 x portal knife, not yet enchanted
- 1 x large collapsible doorway (large enough to allow crawler to move through)
- 2 x sacrifices for +3

1 x portal knife, enchanted
1 x Custom collapsible doorway, enchanted (Warning: portal's end point isn't very well anchored to the physical object. There's some drift involved (4,5 meter), so you will come out in the general area, but maybe not spot on.) Currently deployed on the bore, there is padding on the floor to prevent damage from drift.

Nothing but non-existence can be seen with your eyes, What is beyond that door, you cannot know.

[Parisbre56]

"Well, I just came up with it, it wasn't planned! I was expecting the warrior to attack us the moment the door opened so I was focused on rescuing Alex and AsHul. When it started talking instead I started thinking and went with the first thing that I thought was a good plan. I... didn't really consider the possibility that someone would think I was actually going to do that. I've got better things to do with my life than waste it fighting in some holy war."

[Ozarck]

"In any case, your words of commitment to our crew are good enough, at least for me. I believe you, and see no need to apply the powers beyond to verify them."

Then he turns to the abomination and shouts: "Ashul, for what it's worth, I think that this one is good for it. What say you?"

"Speaking of failures to establish intent and plans beforehand, that brings us to the topic of what to do with Alex. As was pointed out, he did indeed construct half of the device with which we aimed to do the job, which speaks well in his favor. Though we should probably verify it is indeed a functional bomb and not a convincing dud or elaborate firecracker. But the last-minute revelation to try and hide information from us through secret conversation with the warrior is most concerning indeed. As Nyw pointed out, his claim to both reserve control over the knowledge of the ancient humans and willingness to divulge it later on anyway is contradictory. What do we make of this?"

AsHul grumbles for a moment, apparently to himself, or perhaps to some invisible entity flitting about near his head lump.
"I suppose, Brother Adam. As long as she understands that errors here were not mine. At least, not mine alone.

As for Alex, I will pen the door only once we have resolved to gain the complete truth from him by compulsion, and contain or destroy the Warrior. I can wait on destruction: the Saint who commissioned me is longsuffering."

[syvarris]

"In fact," he turns to Nyw, who has been silent up till now, and asks, "honorable ancestor, what do you make out of all of this? Your kind is righteous and carries the wisdom of age, so please, if it behooves you, share with us your thoughts."

Nyw is still staring at the closed barrier when his name is called, murakumos ready.  The entire time, he has made no indication that he has paid any attention to the conversation, or even heard his name.  He does eventually speak, after the shouting has died down and quiet has returned.  His calm voice comes as something of a surprise, as he still does not move a single muscle, and it's not even clear he's responding to Adam's question.  "Alex is now our enemy.  He has chosen his own goals above cooperation, and his direct statements imply that he believes those goals to potentially be counter to ours.  I do not believe him evil; the church is violent and dogmatic, its representatives often..." he pauses, a hint of mirth entering his voice "...rather rash, and prone to misunderstanding... but he has proven himself far more foolish than any such representative present.  I side with those who have been fully open about their motivations and goals over he who hides and lies."

He pauses again, but speaks up a few seconds later, seemingly as an afterthought.  "Kara is not our enemy.  Binding herself to the being's purpose is a cruel idea, but kind as well.  If that purpose is harmful, I can kill her myself.  I cannot kill that being.  Her plan is intended to sacrifice herself in trade for our safety.  Something which we are yet to ensure."

[piecewise]

No actions huh? Ok, I guess.

[Radio Controlled]

((Dang, missed the turn.))
Use wizard eyes to inspect the bomb carefully. Does it look to be a real, functional bomb of sufficient strength? Describe what I see so more technical peeps can weigh in as well.

((rp to be edited in later))

Spoiler: Adam Blavatsky Darvaza (click to show/hide)

Name: Adam Blavatsky Darvaza
Description: A young man of slightly pale complexion and eternal 9 o’clock shadow, he was raised in a small village. While the village priest and passing mystics droned with endless sermons of the Church and their teachings, what had always captivated young Adam’s attention more were the stories of his Granny.
Old stories of the world as it once was, before people were forced to flee to the caves and crannies of this damp hell. Of warm days where pleasant green plants tickled your feet as you walked through them and a cool breeze blew through your hair. Where food was plentiful, nature was benign and endless vistas reached as far as they eye could see.
Adam was nominally a card-carrying member of the church, though he mostly did it for the connections and perks that brought. They were powerful and had ancient lore, all things he would need to fulfill his true heart’s desire: to return to the surface, vanquish the madness that tainted their homeland and reconquer paradise.
After his encounter with a Word of God, the edges of his vision are flickering with black flame and his skin is extremely pale with what appear to be black veins instead of the normal blue ones. It also forced him to reevaluate his views on the cthonic church and god.
Goal: Plunge the secrets of the depths below to find an answer to the horrors above.
Stats
Str: 11
Dex: 11
Spe: 13
End: 12
Awa: 12
Cun: 11
Kno: 10
Ner: 14 
Skills
Diving: +3
Stealth: +2
Occult: +1
Flammenvision!
Inventory

Soldier's chestplate
Clothing: simple priest robes, currently worn long to hide the black veins
Rubber Suit

1 ethral rifle [7 rounds]  (pierce 3)
5x black flame
2x smoke bomb
1 flashbang

3 Silent Night
4 worm blood

1 minor artifact
1 beaker artifact (found in crystal ruins) => in locker
1 crystal construct

Transport mission papers
1 black book copy
1 black book
1 book "Artifacts of Faith"
1 empyrean city map
1 field lighter
1 radio
portal knives design
445 fathoms
4 unspent skillpoints
copy of cult papers
cult holy book
scribbled notes with faces of cult conspirators
lenses of telescope that can look through solid matter
slabs with the history of the crystal people
mysterious cult chest

- 1 x portal knife, not yet enchanted
- 1 x large collapsible doorway (large enough to allow crawler to move through)
- 2 x sacrifices for +3

1 x portal knife, enchanted
1 x Custom collapsible doorway, enchanted (Warning: portal's end point isn't very well anchored to the physical object. There's some drift involved (4,5 meter), so you will come out in the general area, but maybe not spot on.) Currently deployed on the bore, there is padding on the floor to prevent damage from drift.