etrayamemes | TDM 002

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!tdm

TDM 002

⏵ arrival⏴
Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in the pristine, new hospital, greeted by Aurora and potentially getting a rundown of what's happening depending on their approach to being dropped somewhere new. The door to their room opens, and new arrivals are left free to explore their new environment.

When the first round of citizens arrived, Aurora and the companion bots had been largely unprepared. This time? They made sure to put up welcome banners, even if the sentiment isn't quite right. There are cupcakes and cookies set out in the hospital's lobbies, and a digital map has been placed just in front of the entrance of the hospital, telling others how to reach the various locations throughout Etraya. Companion bots wander throughout the city, some carrying construction equipment to half-built facilities while others act as nurses, servers, or sales associates throughout the constructed buildings.

⏵ rainy awakenings ⏴

Many concepts are new to Aurora, including rain. She is familiar with how it functions, and its purpose, but rain has never been present on the lands of Etraya. Given how new it is, that may not be all too surprising - but the method of how it’s being introduced is… a little much. Rainfall commences in the early days of April, a persistent downpour that waxes and wanes in intensity but never ceases entirely.

Most nights in Etraya are characterized by a soothing patter of rain against rooftops. Yet, some nights leave the grounds flooded come morning. Rivers begin to swell, the current much too strong to justify trying to go for a swim. These showers also bring a new assortment of plants blooming across the green lands: bright blossoms whose petals spread wide when the yellow sun shines down on them, while numerous cherry blossom trees have grown out of nowhere, flourishing despite the rainfall. Clover carpets the grassy expanses of the islands, weaving a beautiful tapestry of color across the grounds.

⏵ Getting drenched by the rain can trigger a surge, followed by a slump. Initially, individuals will feel giddy, excited, full of energy, and ready to take on the world. However, in the subsequent days, they’ll find themselves feeling depressed, lacking the energy and motivation to move forward. Aurora advises that these effects are only temporary and should fade within the week, but they can be resolved more quickly by embracing a stranger. Attempting to hug anyone they already know well will not produce the same effect.

⏵ With the rain comes a significant increase in the greenery around Etraya that isn’t fake. Most of these plants will resemble ones originally found in the characters' universes.

⏵ A couple of these plants contain magical properties:

The Emberloom is a bright red, fiery flower that only inhabits smaller land masses. Those exposed to its pollen will experience heightened aggression and impulsivity.

Shadowbloom resemble tulips during the day, but during the night the petals open and it looks more like the night sky: dark petals with specs of white throughout them. Growing too close to the apartment building for comfort, those who look at the petals after nightfall will fall into a deep sleep. Worse yet: the dreams they find themselves in are not their own, but are the dreams of other residents. Ones who had not looked into the Shadowbloom, but had drifted off to sleep elsewhere on the planet. The one who looked into the Shadowbloom will find they cannot awaken until the person whose dream they have entered does.

These flowers will continue to bloom through April, after which the companion bots will search for and remove them from the atmosphere bubble.

⏵ If there is a specific, unique plant that those in game (or those accepted during the next round!) would like to add, please comment to the LOCATIONS page! We’ll add mentions of these to the Outskirts section.

Along with the botanical resurgence, numerous new animals appear: glowing fish swim freely through the waters. In the canopy above, new species of birds and critters flit among the branches. Some diligently construct new nests in anticipation of the coming spring, while others seek refuge in the shelter of trees, retreating from the weather.

Not all the creatures are so small, or so peaceful.

⏵ Small critters make themselves comfortable in the forested area around Etraya, staying mostly out of the way. There are the occasional visitors that will let themselves in through windows for a quick visit, or maybe a snack, but they’re mostly harmless.

⏵ Several larger beasts make their way into the city to try and find land that’s more habitable for them. Giraffes navigate gracefully through the areas designated for new arrivals, using their elongated necks to reach for the foliage near the hospital when they aren’t finding new places to make themselves comfortable. An eclectic array of cats, ranging in all sizes and breeds, brazenly saunter into buildings they don’t belong. Hopefully, the lioness lounging in the apartment complex's common area does not prevent residents from reaching their rooms, because she has no intention of yielding.

⏵ The leopard adorned with a rattlesnake tail in the hospital's cafeteria may be difficult to ignore, given his determination to devour everything in sight and attack anyone in his way.

⏵ Cat scratches and bites pose a significant risk of infection. In the event a character is injured, individuals can expect the companion bots to quickly seek them out and approach them with a special antibiotic cream developed specifically for these cats. Refusal of treatment may result in severe symptoms, including high fevers and itching. In extreme cases, individuals may begin to exhibit cat-like characteristics, ranging from physical alterations to changes in mental traits.

⏵ Numerous other creatures of all shapes and sizes will be coming and going through the city. You may play with this as you wish!

While the uproar caused by these guests doesn’t particularly bother Aurora, she does send out a message to everyone wearing an earpiece to request their assistance in capturing the larger animals that her companion bots may not be able to handle themselves. She has converted an island to the East into a temporary holding area until the companion bots can set them up with something a little more permanent.

⏵ network ⏴

Welcome to Etraya! Upon your arrival, Aurora provided an earpiece, a device to make communication with others stuck in the same situation more simple. The device connects to an internal network, which is accessible by everyone else currently residing on planet. Whether you’re looking for guidance, camaraderie, or want to see if there are any familiar faces around, this is the perfect place to do it! Please feel free to post any questions, offer your name, ask for assistance, or maybe complain to the powers that be about how you’ve got better things to be doing than sitting around here completing their missions. Maybe they’re listening. Maybe they’re not.

⏵ NOTES⏴

⏵ During April, Etraya’s getting a little wet! Those who spend too long in the rain may experience a few unfortunate effects.

⏵ The rain brings in new flora, including a couple that may cause characters to experience aggression and impulsivity, or take a stroll through others’ dreams.

⏵ New animals also appear! While many of them are friendly, others… are less so. The cats specifically seem to be a little grumpy. Characters scratched or bitten by these cats may find themselves becoming just as catty.

For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please reply below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. The TDM is game canon, meaning everything happening above is occurring within the game properly. Those who apply to join in the April application round may keep their TDM threads as game canon.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Adaine doesn't do a full-on fist pump of victory, per se, but the relief on her face indicates it was a close call. ]

Brilliant. Roxx it is! —then Shinra HQ. [ Because she has to concede that once she's properly kitted out, it's Riz's turn to take the lead and start investigating the likely culprits of their planes-napping. ]

I don't know if they'll have weapons at the clothing store, but it's worth a look.

[ She turns to look out the sliding glass doors of the hospital, frowning at the downpour of rain. She also misses the convenience of the Hangvan, in moments like this. ]

We'll have to make a break for it. You ready to run?

Hey, you never know. We'll improvise.

[ She can use one of those long poles they use to get at the clothing racks that are too high up for most of the humanoid population of Elmville. Anything's gotta be better than nothing. Honestly, the idea of Adaine being completely unarmed in a scary, unknown place isn't something that bears consideration.

He takes his jacket and lifts it over his head as a makeshift umbrella before nodding at Adaine. ]

Ready! Let's go!

[ With that, they begin their sprint towards the clothing store that rapidly turns into less of a sprint as Riz realizes just how far they're going to have to run. Point being, they're at least moving faster than a walk.

Once they do manage to get there, the clothing shop itself looks strangely mundane from the outside, as though it wouldn't be out of place in a normal shopping mall. Somehow, that makes the whole effect of the thing even stranger, considering how few signs of proper civilization there seems to be here. ]

[ As they run— and then jog— and then power walk— through the rain, darting under the cover of trees and awnings and whatever they pass that can give them at least a brief respite from getting rained on, Adaine keeps her head on a swivel, looking around at the neighborhoods they pass. ]

This place is deserted! [ She remarks, shouting to be heard over the torrential downpour. ] Apart from those little drone constructs!

[ It's odd, to say the least. But maybe less odd when she considers that the person tasked with giving them the welcome speech was also a hologram. (A welcome speech which she caught very little of, considering she was mid-panic at the time, and more focused on practicing her box breathing and grounding techniques than on absorbing any expository information.)

Finally, they make it to Roxx— a simple looking clothing store, and Adaine pulls the door open for Riz so they can both go inside. She wrings out her hair and the soaked johnnie as best she can, but there's not really anything to do about leaving puddles wherever they walk. ]

Alright... Let's see what they've got here.

It's totally empty here too... I guess we don't have to worry about paying.

[ That said, even if there was a shopkeep here, they'd wind up stealing anyway. Adaine having to wander around the city in a swimsuit just isn't an option, and all of Riz's gold is tucked away in his suitcase, left behind in the bowels of hell. The only good part about the eerie desert they've found themselves in is that Adaine can take her time finding something that fits instead of having Riz slink around and do his best estimation as to what she'd actually like to wear. He stomps his feet against the welcome mat, trying to rid himself of the worst of the damp as he looks around.

It's a whole emporium here, he thinks. There's everything from thick cloaks to elaborate dresses to casual wear in every shape and size, just waiting for someone to swoop in and retrieve it. ]

This place is creepy, [ he declares, not that it's stopping him from pausing at a hat that's entirely too much like his good old-fashioned newsboy cap that was lost in transit. ] I'd say this is just a city specifically for robotic constructs, but I don't think they'd need this many clothes.

[ His eyes alight on a cloak, and he makes the executive decision just to use it as a towel to mop himself up, scrubbing his hair dry until it sticks up in wild curls. ]

[ The store isn't huge, and yet it seems to hold clothing from all different styles, eras, and backgrounds. Adaine peers around, seeing everything from crop tops to spats to... is that a suit of full plate armor in the back, there? ]

Let's split up. I shouldn't be too long. [ If they do end up being stranded here longer term, she can come back and get herself a whole wardrobe, if necessary. For now all she needs is one outfit. But, she doesn't exactly want to shop for underwear or bras around one of her guy friends, so... Splitting up seems the best idea. ]

I'll meet you back here at the front in ten minutes?

[ And then she's off. With the wild abundance of fashions available, it's hard to say that the store has sections, per se, but Adaine still is able to find what she needs. Underthings, socks, shoes, pants, t-shirt... and most importantly, a jean jacket. It's not Jacket of Useful Things, but it feels close enough that she's not uncomfortable at the loss of it. Finally, she lingers in the outerwear section until she finds two rain ponchos, and heads back to the front to meet up with Riz, holding one out for him to take. ]

Here. This should help us get around easier.

Okay.

[ Riz paces around the store just long enough to get a measure of the place before parking himself at the front of the store, guarding the door to make sure that he can get his eye on whoever comes in or out. He clears some of the t-shirts off of one of the displays and perches himself on top of it, resting the sword of shadows on his lap. Satisfied that things are as secure as they can be for now, he busies himself with redrawing the map from the picture he took on his crystal into his notebook and jotting notes beside each location to begin speculation as to what they are, and what importance they might have to this strange new place they've found themselves in.

His head jerks up from his work as Adaine approaches, giving her a smile and a little wave. ]

Hey, thanks! [ He accepts the poncho and wriggles his head through it, satisfied that it's actually the right size for him; looks like this store caters to smaller races too, which at least means that the previous population was reasonably diverse. He nods approvingly at Adaine's new fit. ] Glad you found everything you needed.

[ And with that, he holds out his sword. ] Wanna use this until we find your spellbooks? I've still got the arquebus, so I'm all set. I've taken a closer look at the map too, [ he continues, hopping from off of the shelf, ] and it looks like whoever this Wayne person is is probably in charge of this place.

[ Adaine's not sure whether the smaller poncho size is because this place is anticipating smaller races, or if it's meant to be worn by a child. But she's not going to look a gift poncho in the mouth, not when it's raining as hard as it is out there. She pulls on her own poncho as well, fluffing out the edges of the waterproof plastic so they don't cling to her body.

But when Riz offers her the Sword of Shadows, she looks up, surprised. But she accepts it all the same, holding it carefully, testing its weight in her hands. She's gotten some practice holding a sword, thanks to using the Sword of Sight as her new arcane focus, but she's by no means an experienced swordswoman. ]

Are you sure? I'm not sure I could use it as an arcane focus like I can with my Sword of Sight. But... [ She draws it from the sheath, just a little bit, considering. ] ...It would at least let me cast Booming Blade.

[ She smiles at Riz's generosity. But, of course he's being generous. He's Riz. ]

Thank you.

[ She resheathes the blade and affixes it to her hip, underneath the poncho. ]

You think Wayne is in charge? Not Shinra?

Yeah, of course! If we run into any significant trouble, we should probably run - [ as much as Riz has his pride, he has pragmatism too; as a Rogue, he considers himself largely as someone who works best in a balanced party, not as someone who has much luck peeling off on his own ] - but I'll feel better if you at least have something to hit people with.

[ Adaine's physical strength is also pretty atrocious, but if it's light enough for Riz to swing around, then it's light enough for Adaine to swing around too. Truthfully, Riz feels better when he has both his sword and his firearm at his disposal, but he'd be a real jerk not to share with Adaine when she doesn't even have her spellbooks. He holds up his notebook for Adaine to peer over his shoulder to see his notes. ]

Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if Shinra and Wayne were connected in some way. They might be competitors, they might be partners, but it seems odd that for a place that's completely deserted, they'd build them right next to each other. There are all these other islands they could have easily built on. But Wayne is the only one with a Manor too, which means there's gotta be some rich dude with a lot of sway here. Plus, their place is way on the other side of where all the normal people live. Classic rich guy behaviour.

[ He taps his pen against the drawn recreation of the map. ]

So, as far as I see it, we've got two options. We can rock up to the corporate side of the island, which is probably less risky -- more plausible deniability for hiding out at a more public building. Or, we can head over to Wayne Tower and see if we can't get eyes on whoever might actually be in charge here.

[ Adaine frowns in thought as she studies the hand drawn map over Riz's shoulder. She'd been so concerned with just getting properly attired when she looked over the map at the hospital, she hadn't given any second thoughts to the rest of the map outside of Roxx. ]

I've got to wonder if Wayne is "new" money or "old" money. Although... [ She glances out the shop's doors to the stormy, deserted landscape outside. ] ...with how deserted this place is, I doubt anything here is that old.

[ She starts pacing. Thoughts percolate better when the body is moving. Riz should know this well. He's even more pace-inclined than she is. ]

What we have to figure out is, was this place inhabited at one point, and something happened to clear everyone out? Or is it somehow brand new and just not populated yet?

Yeah, that's a good point, [ Riz agrees, nodding vigorously as he walks over to the door separating them from the torrential downpour outside, pressing his palm flat against the glass as he peers out. ] I didn't get a great look while we were running here, but from what I could tell, everything looks brand new, and there's no obvious signs of any sort of disaster or mass evacuation. Of course, everyone could have been magicked away...

[ As a Private Investigator in Spyre, accounting for magic is just part of the package. It's always a new and intriguing way to look at the clues, to come to conclusions, to pick apart a problem in a new way. Still, sometimes he really resents the fact that any amount of investigating can occasionally be waved away with, a wizard did it. ]

Anyway, it feels like it was set up for us. If Gorgug were here, I'd wanna see if he could maybe take apart one of those robot dudes and figure something out from there. It's the closest we've gotten to any sign of life so far.

[ He falls back into an old habit, ripping out pages of his notebook and sticking them up directly on the wall of the shop, undoubtedly committing minor amounts of property damage. Each page is a different location and notes on what they may be able to glean there, and smaller notations of wild extrapolations and theorizing, all in a nigh illegible scrawl. ]

The apartments seemed least promising to me at first, but if we want to figure out the answer to your question, we could go through them and see if we can find any signs of people who used to live there.

[ He hums approvingly at the wall. It looks like it's covered in the ramblings of a madman, which is to say, it looks just like home. If they're here for long enough, he'll have to find some sort of home base to keep all of this up in (he's not going to keep it here, less out of respect for others and more because he doesn't want anyone to know exactly what they're thinking).

But if there's anyone he'd want to be stuck here with, he thinks, it's probably Adaine. The two of them can tackle crime scenes like pros and she has a distinct talent of being able to poke holes in every argument, which is a distinctly useful trait in the field of mystery solving. ]

It's hard to get a good look around when it's raining so hard. [ Though that, at least, should be easier now that they're properly outfitted with the rain ponchos. ]

The apartments are probably a good bet if we want to find out how the average citizen was living. As opposed to people in power like Wayne and Shinra.

[ They still haven't confirmed with any confidence that Wayne and Shinra actually were or are in power here, but with Riz already tacking his notes onto the wall, the conspiracies are well underway. Normally, Adaine would at least try to gently dissuade Riz off of the path of paranoia, but now? She's fairly paranoid herself, and she doesn't think anyone could blame her for feeling that way. ]

So, what are our top priorities? Apartments, Wayne Tower, or the business district?

Hmmm...

[ Riz feels better now, actually. More centred. Clues help. Having everything they know in front of them - which isn't very much at all - helps, slows the restless tattoo of his heart, ties together the strands of his mind eager to unravel. He likes seeing it all laid out in black and white. ]

I think... we don't know enough. [ He drums his fingers against his thigh in rapidfire, a familiar enough gesture of his when he's trying to make a decision. ]

So there's not enough value in making the risky choice. If we go to the apartments, we can confirm that there really isn't anyone else here, and if they were here and got evacuated for whatever reason, we can search for anything they left behind. Maybe even some paystubs, if we're lucky.

[ Hopefully for Wayne and Shinra, considering those are their two other leads at the moment, but anything will be helpful. What strikes him most right now is how little this feels like a functioning city. He'd believe that maybe not everything is listed on the map, but if the lone diner and the lone clothing shop are, then that means that that's it. Nowhere to work, nowhere to hang out. It's spooky. ]

What do you think?

I agree. It's probably best to start at the bottom and work our way up. If we jump straight to Wayne or Shinra, without some foundation of knowledge that the apartments could have given... We may get in over our heads.

[ Which, honestly, would not be the first time the bad kids jumped straight into the deep end. But if given the choice, Adaine would prefer to do things properly. ]

Pay stubs would be good to find... [ She steals a glance at the unmanned sales counter. ] Surely this place was staffed at one point, right? By more than just robots. If constructs were the sole inhabitants, why would they bother having a diner or a clothing store? Robots don't need to eat or wear clothes. It's clear this place was at least intended to have living occupants at some point.

Exactly. But it's weird that it's so... one-size-fits-all. I mean, look at this place. It's almost like someone heard about what a clothing store is meant to look like, so they just threw literally every piece of clothing in here and called it a day.

[ It could just be a difference in society, though. Maybe this isn't a capitalist society and instead seeks to serve as much of the population as possible in a single location. But somehow, he doubts that a bunch of Bud Cubbies are the ones running this joint; they wouldn't be much in favour of this whole sordid kidnapping thing either.

Methodically, he takes down all of the papers from the wall and brightens once he spots a briefcase to stuff them all into. It's no briefcase-of-holding, and more's the pity for that, but he feels less naked with at least a briefcase to carry. ]

Okay. Let's roll! [ He stomps on the mat to have the automatic door slide open. Onwards and forwards! ]

You're right. It's like a strange facsimile of what someone thought we would want as a clothing store. Specifically, someone who doesn't understand how clothing stores normally work.

[ Like, say, a construct? Or... a god? Adaine isn't sure, but there's no way to be sure until they have more data points.

She nods, making sure the Sword of Sight is belted around her waist over the poncho, in case she needs access to it, and pulls the hood up over her head, following Riz out into the rain. The hood isn't particularly designed for elven ears, she notes, so she has to keep one hand tugging at the front of it to keep it from being pushed back off her face. ]

Right?

[ Now that they're appropriately kitted out for the weather, Riz doesn't feel the need to go sprinting off anymore -- which is good, because he hates it, and he's feeling an odd hollowness to his bones, a tiredness that goes beyond skin deep. He's good at ignoring that sort of thing, though. They fall into a steady rhythm together, the only sounds accompanying them being the pounding of rain against ground, their own footsteps against the pavement, the quiet, shallow sound of their own breathing. In a forest, this would be normal. But here in this mockery of an urban space, it feels all wrong. A place as built-up like this should be buzzing with life, and even without other people outdoors, they'd normally hear the quiet buzz of life, lights on in every window, a snatch of conversation from a couple of exuberant friends, the putter of a vehicle coming around the corner. Instead, it's just... nothing.

He hates it, he decides. He really, really does. ]

It was the same thing back at the hospital. They seemed super focused on, like, making sure we felt welcome, or trying to give us whatever it is they thought we wanted? Like that's how they learned that hospitals should work, with -- welcome parties and stuff? [ He wrinkles his nose. ] Any normal hospital would just slap you with the bill.

[ But, like the clothing store, it seems that they're just expected to take things. ]

Not just welcome parties... Welcome back to school parties. Which leads me to believe that whoever or whatever is behind this place doesn't understand the difference between the two institutions.

[ So, not human. Or elf or dwarf or orc or goblin, or any other sentient race that Adaine is aware of. It reeks of artifice, of a manufactured consciousness. And the drone robots littered around don't do anything to dissuade that feeling. It's eerie, is what it is. Walking around in an empty city covered in greenery like that's supposed to make them feel better somehow. Adaine doesn't like it. It has neither the ancient forest feeling of Fallinel, nor the comfortable suburban crowding of Elmville, nor the hustle or bustle of an urban metropolis like Bastion City. It's like someone tried to meld the three feelings together and came out with something that's worse than each one separately.

Finally, they reach the apartments, but Adaine puts a hand out to stop Riz before he can go inside. She blinks, activating her arcane sight to peek into the ethereal plane. She has to blink hard two, three times before it finally works, but when she does, she sees through the doors and walls of the building before her, getting an early glimpse of what's waiting inside.

Her eyes widen, just a fraction, and she lowers her volume as she warms Riz, ] There's something in the lobby. Something large.

Of course there is.

[ What else could they expect? Honestly, Riz would feel better to have a straightforward enemy around here. At least that way they could take refuge in the familiar, and maybe learn a thing or two more about this place and the oddities within. He's still chewing on the idea of what sort of being could make a place so familiar and so foreign all at once, mind restlessly bouncing between artificial life to long-dormant gods.

Having a mission to focus on instead is nice. He nods at Adaine and holds out a hand telling her to stay back before slipping inside, keeping his body weight low to the ground as he creeps around the corner. Spotting a lion there is almost anticlimactic. He tiptoes back out to where Adaine was waiting and hisses: ] It's a freaking lion.

[ His gaze darts behind him, but the creature still seems to be deep in slumber. ]

Like, just a lion. Not magical or mechanical or whatever. Which is weirder, somehow.

[ Adaine is sure Riz can handle himself, sneaking ahead. It's one of the things he's best at, after all, after investigating clues and avoiding sleep. But she still watches him carefully as he goes, inwardly sighing with relief when he returns unscathed. ]

A lion? What's it doing?

[ Surely a prowling lion wouldn't have let Riz just sneak away from it, had it spotted him. ]

Sleeping. Or maybe just lounging? Either way, she looked pretty chill. I have a funny feeling that she'll be less chill about getting past her, though.

[ He and the rest of the Bad Kids have killed, frankly, a ludicrous amount of people for their relative age and experience, a thought that doesn't really keep Riz up at night. But he's pretty certain that Adaine is on the same page as him in not wanting to just attack what appears to be an ordinary animal willy nilly just because they want to go investigating. ]

Either way, she seems like she's guarding the area. She might belong to someone in there. I figure our best bet is to sneak around her, or find another entrance. Maybe we can climb up to one of the windows on the upper floors.

[ Adaine looks up the side of the building, frowning. With the walls slick from rain, she doesn't like her chances of climbing. Riz might be okay; he's far more dextrous with that sort of thing than she is. But she knows she would fare better with both feet on solid ground. ]

Let's try to sneak. Your sword lets you cast Misty Step, right? We should both be able to get around it that way.

Okay, let's do it. I got some tranquilizer darts now, so even if we get noticed, we should be able to take her down without... you know.

[ Murdering a wild animal. Besides, Riz isn't convinced she doesn't belong to anyone, and killing someone's beloved pet or familiar is a one-way ticket to landing up in the doghouse. He can only imagine Sandra Lynn's reaction if someone were to kill Baxter for the crime of sleeping in a public space. He puts a finger up to his lips and gently presses the door open, staying low to the ground and pinned to the wall as they creep forward, coming directly into contact with the lion's still-slumbering form.

He points across the room, then gestures at Adaine: you first. And just in case, he takes his firearm out of his holster, loading it with a tranquilizer dart and gets ready to fire, just in case. ]

[ Adaine crouches and follows Riz into the room, stepping as quietly as she can. When he gestures for her to go first, she nods, and steps forward slowly. She stops once she's about fifteen feet from the sleeping lion, and whispers under her breath the verbal command word to cast Misty Step.

She blinks out of sight, only to reappear thirty feet ahead, on the other side of the lion. Sighing in relief, she waves for Riz to follow her. ]

[ Riz shoots her a thumbs up before touching the hilt of his sword and using its magic to Misty Step him across as well. Doing it with one of his tools always feels different from when one of his friends casts magic on him, less laden with endless possibility, less of an energy surrounding him, more like turning his crystal on and off again. That suits him just fine as he disappears and reappears by Adaine's side, gently touching her wrist as they head out and away from the lion.

Only once they're in the stairwell - Riz had merely shook his head at the elevator, too wary of being trapped inside - does he speak again, content that they wouldn't wake the beast. ] Okay, well, at least that went smoothly. I say we tackle the apartment floor by floor, room by room. [ He grimaces. ] It's gonna take forever, but we've gotta be thorough. Can you sense any magic here?

[ Adaine agrees, stairs are better for freedom of movement. Especially since they still don't know whether to trust this place. So, up they go, to the next floor. ]

Hang on, let me see... [ Adaine grips the hilt of her sword, just as Riz did when he used his to cast Misty Step, and she casts Detect Magic. A filter of blue arcane light settles over her eyes like lenses, and she looks around. The only things reading as magical are the things she would expect— the Sword of Shadows, the Sword of Sight, her Jacket of Useful Things. Nothing in the environment around them is pinging her as magic at all.

She frowns, shaking her head. ]

No, nothing within thirty feet, at least. I'll keep the spell up as we move, but so far everything is... distressingly mundane.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

TDM 002

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