epidemiology | EVENT ★ LABYRINTH II

DEEPER

Following the marked path near the lake leads Audentes (and George) further into the maze, closer to the goal found at the center. Some other inmates (including Zymandis agent Mavahari) and correctional officers follow along, having picked up on the organized manner of Audentes and figuring it’s their best bet on getting out of here alive.

Unlike the dry stone and sand in the outer ring of the maze, this next section is overflowing with flora. Jungle vines cling to the walls to the point where seeing the stone underneath is a difficult task; trees sprout from between cracked tiles, bearing alien-looking fruit; branches and brambles cross certain parts of the maze, and will need to be hacked through unless you want to find another way around.

Water is more plentiful now as well, since obviously the plants need it to flourish. For the first time since setting foot in the labyrinth, a rain begins to fall, drizzling and gentle. This can be a respite or an annoyance, depending on how you look at it: while it’s soothing and can make collection of fresh, clean water easier, walking around in wet clothes is probably not that pleasant.

Your fellow ALASTAIR recruit George has inexplicably struck up a friendship with the Zymandis agent Mavahari, and they can often be found exploring the maze together, with Mavahari helping him due to his broken arm. They seem to be getting along well enough, but maybe checking in with George is in order.

Otherwise, survival is the name of the game; though the center of the labyrinth is closer, it’s impossible to tell how close, and how long to expect to be here. Collecting water is simple enough, but food is growing scarce. The tree fruits may be a good solution, but it seems as though some have unfortunate reactions to them, ranging from stomach cramps to rashes to fever and temporary blindness.

But an allergic reaction may just be the least of your worries.

LOVE ME LIKE A REPTILE

The monsters seen so infrequently in the outer ring of the maze are now a common nuisance. Giant insects and rats scurry about, hungry for whatever flesh they can find, but they’re easily defeated, particularly if encountered as a group. But with new terrain comes new, adaptive animals, and the labyrinth is no different.

Lizards are now the main threat: enormous and camouflaged, they stalk their prey and take their time, looking for the perfect opportunity to ambush. The lizards are three-headed, with each head containing fangs dripping with venom, capable of rendering its victims paralyzed within five seconds flat. Their blood is also poisonous, capable of burning through metal, not to mention flesh.

If a head is severed, the lizard will retreat back into the jungle, presumably to nurse its wounds but possibly to grow another head -- no lizard will ever be encountered with less than three heads, so it’s possible they have regenerative abilities. The best way to defeat one is to remove all three heads at once, or simply kill it in whatever way possible. The lizards are quick and mean, but not invincible.

Now more than ever, it’s important to take care in exploring the maze. Stray too far from the group or try to make it alone, and you might not survive.

OOC NOTES

Once again, we have a plotting post here and search requests for the next ring of the maze.

Please note: during the labyrinth event, all drops are ICly delayed. What this means is that characters who drop will be handwaved to still be around on auto-pilot until connection with Oska is resumed, at which point they will be transferred to a different team as usual.

If you have any questions about the labyrinth that aren't answered here, please direct them to the Leramzen dossier. If you have questions for any NPCs, please direct them there as well!

Questions about the game in general should be directed to the FAQ and you may submit mission ideas or player plots at any time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Night falls, and their watch begins.

Dany knows that she would be best served sending a message to Ahad or Loki to find her, but first, she wishes to stop by a fire and rest her ankle. Daintily, she picks her way around vines by the light of a cookfire, the warm orange glow bringing her comfort long before she reaches the edges of the stranger's encampment. A glance at his form tells her he will serve well enough as a warrior, and the symbol upon his forehead marks him for a freed man.

The rest--whether the fire shall serve as deterrent enough for the lizards, or whether this man is possessed of a heroic nature--remains a risk she is willing to accept. She stops before his fire so that he can see her: a queenly courtesy, before she invites herself to sit. Embers float through the air, illuminating strands of gold in otherwise silver hair, but they do not seem to touch her, or the stick she carries to lean upon. ]

How fares your watch?

[ She has no name for him, and no title. The glow from the flames seems to settle about her face as a cowl, revealing a keen gaze and a faint smile. ]

Quiet.

[ a dark head lifts to take in the new arrival. his is a solemn countenance, neither refusing her company or greeting her with any particular warmth. bruce does not begrudge anyone the fire, much less someone injured, but he must take care.

the reason for his quiet vigilance is easy to ascertain. once seated across, the shape beside him of a child underneath a blanket is unmistakeable. body turned to the wall, he pillows his head on his father's thigh. bruce's hand rests over him. his fingers occasionally card through hair as black as his. ]

Yes, [ she agrees, ] and it will remain that way henceforth, we may pray.

[ Undaunted by his short response, her gaze falls to the small body beside him, shielded as much in tenderness as in a blanket. She knows of only one man with a child here, and whilst their entrapment has seemed to span several moons, in truth she had made the father's acquaintance only weeks before.

Dany leans down to divest herself of her stick first, placing it among the vines, then daintily seats herself on the ground, using her hands to tuck back the tatters of what was once a billowing prison uniform. Shredded, at least, it serves her needs better. ]

I never thanked you, [ she tells him with a tone grown soft, for the sake of a child's sleep. For the sake of any creatures listening. She sits with a spine that is impossibly straight, her legs closer to the fire than most would find comfortable. ] You were kind to teach me your games.

[ Her smile remains faint, but her gaze is genuine. Hello, b.w. ]

Edited (werds) 2017-07-26 20:59 (UTC)

[ comprehension dawns quickly with a softening of his brow and an upward tilt to his mouth. ]

You did show me mercy when you had no reason to.… [ he dips his head in a playful show of humility. amusement crinkles the corners of his eyes.

"a young girl" his partner in isolation had referred to herself as. she had not lied. daria must be at least half his age, maybe a year or two younger. based on her writing, he had assumed her slightly older. much like damian, himself affecting a more formal speech pattern than a typical preteen, her manner belies her age. ]

How is it that you pronounce your name? Before it turns out I've been accidentally butchering it.

I did, [ comes a coy look, ] though young girls have been known to be fickle. I may still seek your crushing defeat.

[ His question prompts a smile. He is not the first to butcher her name, nor will he be the last. The nobles of Meereen have offered her so many obscene variations that in the end they gave up in favor of mhysa in the pit. ]

You shall not be the last, [ she tells him, ] yet you are the first to ask. [ She toes off her tattered shoes, so that her bare feet might absorb the fire as she gives the pronunciation. ] De-nair-iss. And what of your own?

De-nair-iss, [ he repeats. to his credit, the name gets through unscathed. bruce's smile widens. ] Good news: I wasn't too far off the mark.

You can call me Bruce. [ he enunciates his name: broos. his fingers curl through the boy's dark hair. ] And this is Damian. I just got him down so you'll have to wait for a proper introduction.

[ some of the levity is set aside with a tilt of his head. ]

Is someone with you?

Bruce, [ she repeats, folding her hands into her lap. Before the introduction of the database, she thinks, His network handle might have been as secretive as my own. ] I know you will forgive me. One day I will learn to build a fire, but that time is not yet come.

[ Not without Drogon. His curiosity as to her travel status is met with a direct gaze through the fire, and a more genuine smile than the other. ]

I am never truly alone. [ No longer. ] My friends are unobtrusive, but they are never far.

[ """Friends.""" She speaks with the utmost confidence, built over more than a year's worth of experience. Loki and Ahad would not fail her. ]

[ bruce acknowledges her with a nod. ]

You're welcome to stay the night. Rest, [ he references both her previous limp and the walking stick, ] is still the best treatment for a sprain.

[ reaching behind him, bruce grabs a formal man's jacket, long since broken in. he folds it into a square and slips it under damian's head even as he slips his leg out from under the boy's head. damian stirs; bruce soothes him.

on his feet, he picks up the last of the blankets he and damian found and takes it to daenerys. the single line on his forehead glows a soft blue. ]

Here. Don't fall asleep too close to the fire.

EVENT ★ LABYRINTH II

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