Great Transcendence

[low charm]

× @rugged pebble

[rugged pebble]

Chapter 0: The Voidling

_You float gently in the void. It's so peaceful here. Slowly, ever so slowly, something drifts into your field of view, interrupting the eternal calm.

It's a small, flat, pure black crystal, glowing faintly. When was the last time you saw something like this? Your mind fails you. It's become weak from lack of stimulation, blurring the bright marks inscribed on the crystal into an unreadable text._

[rugged pebble]

_As you grasp it, you feel the wind knocked out of you. When you open your eyes, you're greeted by a very different world. A cave of some sort, dotted with moss and rusty, dusty ruins. What is this place?

Something still feels wrong. As you take a few tentative steps forward, you feel your right hand press into something. The chunk of crystal! Somehow, you're in two places at once, connected both to the black rock in the void and this strange new environment.

With an effort of will, you shift your mind back to that infinite peace, trying to recreate what you just experienced. Indeed, as you mentally urge the finger you cannot see to touch the crystal once more, you find yourself pulled forward in the "real" world. But that is all you can do - your old body is immovable, save for that single finger.

The horizon beckons. What secrets does this land hold?_

[latent talon]

Explore the cave

[rugged pebble]

_The surface here is rough and uneven, cluttered with ancient, broken technology. As you squeeze into a narrow passage, then scramble over a collapsed metal crate, you notice your mental fingers exerting themselves in more complex ways.

You reach out once more through your strange connection to the void. With your entire right hand now responding to your mental command, you spin and tumble about as you clumsily send pulses through the crystal. Gradually, you learn how to better control this method of movement, which doesn't seem to tire you at all, and you run and crawl as easily as if this was how you had always moved yourself.

Passing through a tight tunnel, you emerge in another area of the cave containing poles you can climb. Never has it been so easy to climb and spin, and new branches reveal themselves as you reach the top. You could continue upwards, but an area further to the right catches your attention. A mighty leap might take you just far enough.

Your left hand is still disconnected, uncontrollable, but there must be some way to exert your will over it as well. Perhaps another action will cause it to respond?_

[latent talon]

grab the crystal with the left hand maybe?

[rugged pebble]

_Faintly, your other void-hand twitches. You close your eyes and imagine it as an extension of your body, a limb under your command. You force it to act. The flat rock pulses as, very gently, the hand collides with it. When you open your eyes again, you stand not atop the pole, but at its base. Unfortunately, you weren't propelled forwards...

It wouldn't have been so hard to do that yourself, but it's another tool to add to your nimble fingers' arsenal. With both void-hands moving in tandem, you begin to learn the art of the hop.

Climb. Crouch. Back. Forth. Jump. At this rate, there will be little left that your physical body must accomplish on its own. Where will your adventure take you next?_

[latent talon]

Let’s try leaping the gap, seeing where that leads

Gonna be busy for a bit but I’m interested to see where this goes

[rugged pebble]

_When you reach the top of the pole again, you press down two void-fingers at once to move forward as you hop. You clear it easily and enter the bottom tunnel, which leads to a dead-end room filled with round blue objects hanging from the ceiling.

As you grab one, another mental muscle clicks into place, the leftmost finger of your left hand. You return your focus to the object you picked up, which feels soft and slightly squishy to the touch. What is this thing?

You drop it to free your hands for another. Strange. The finger that was just used to pick something up flexes again as you let go of it. That space of the crystal must serve more than one purpose, perhaps even more than two...

Now you must decide what to do with all these little blue spheres rolling about on the cave floor._

[latent talon]

Ooh, I think I get the concept now. Not sure if eating is necessary but the ‘spheres’ can always be used to practice picking things up, finding out what the other thing that ‘space’ does is

[rugged pebble]

_You methodically pick up and put down the spheres, first with your body, then with your mind. Leftmost void-finger to pick it up. That same one, and the finger you used to crouch, to drop it. Sometimes you still find yourself on all fours as you try to drop the spheres, an unfortunate side effect of this mysterious crystal.

You feel that you've mastered the transmission for picking up and putting down objects. Perhaps, as you manipulate the spheres further, you'll learn even more. How are you going to get them out of this room? Try as you might, you can't carry more than two at a time..._

[latent talon]

Try finding more spaces on the crystal

[rugged pebble]

You reach out your consciousness again, grasping for another empty space on the crystal. Slowly, you feel a finger reach out. The rock pulses with a strange energy as the final section springs to life. Wham! The soft blue flesh splatters against the cave wall with a force that takes your breath away. You didn't even know you were capable of such a feat...

[latent talon]

Try messing with the pickup section more, maybe holding it down

Also hehe fruit go whoosh

[rugged pebble]

_Your void-fingers press the crystal’s surface firmly, the continuous effort pushing your willpower to the limit. You feel one of the spheres being drawn towards your face, and as you strain with the effort of the prolonged connection, your teeth clamp down on it of their own accord.

Delicious! The fruit’s juices soak into your mouth, revitalizing you. Hurriedly, you pick up the other three surviving fruits and stuff them into your mouth as well. You could swear you heard a faint ding with each one consumed.

A small amount of strength returns to you now that you are satiated, and with it, confidence in your newfound abilities. Onward!_

[rugged pebble]

Satisfied with your meal, you head back to the previous area and proceed further into the cave, reaching a chasm much too wide to breach with a simple hop. You perform your most powerful pounce, but a mightier leap will be required to pass this way. Your physical body is simply too weak for such a task. If only you knew the corresponding mental command - the same unreal force from your throw would certainly help here. Of course, there might be other ways to pass as well...

[latent talon]

try holding the jump section down

[rugged pebble]

_The last of your mental energy should suffice for this task. You place a finger on the rock, and power swirls around you in the void, almost making your body glow as it is transmitted to the physical world. With your resolve nearly drained, you give one final push, then release the crystal. Suffused with power, you fly forward at an incredible speed, clearing the small canyon with ease.

You blink in the light streaming down from the cave's exit, eager to be free of these tight spaces. But that is not the only path. A tunnel on the other side is marked with a curious symbol, promising something of interest... or danger._

[latent talon]

Well you know what they say, curiosity killed the slugcat but satisfaction brought it back, might as well go have a look at the symbol marked tunnel

[rugged pebble]

_Seems you misinterpreted that symbol. There's nothing on the other side but a tiny room. It's so small that if you stretch out on the floor, you cover almost half the length. You're about to turn and leave when the sound of gears grinding behind you makes you spin around in alarm. The door is locking! You bang against it with all your might, but it's already too late - it's been sealed shut. You slump to the ground in defeat.

As you sit, pondering means of escape, a wave of lethargy sweeps over you. The mental training left you exhausted... Why not rest for a moment? Rather than make another futile attempt with the door, you curl up and try to sleep. Strange images visit you in your dreams._

(You unlocked... something.)

[rugged pebble]

Chapter 1: The Keyboardist

_A breath of fresh air reaches you from the now-open exit. The door must have unsealed itself while you slept. As you take a moment to sort through your memories, you jump up, fully awake at the realization that you might now escape this cave to the wider world. Infinite possibilities stretch out in front of you.

Exiting the small space, you come upon a clearing where light shines down. Two paths are visible from ground level, along with a third that seems to require a difficult climb to reach. You train your ears on a sound coming from one of the lower passages, but you can't quite make it out from here. Where to?_

[latent talon]

May as well go see if we can find where the sound’s coming from

[rugged pebble]

The passage opens into a larger area ahead full of chittering insects. They fly away as you enter, avoiding your touch. It's not clear how you might catch one right now, but perhaps an answer will make itself apparent. This tunnel also continues further forward.

[latent talon]

Continue forward for now then, we can always come back

[rugged pebble]

A low growl greets you as you emerge outside again. At first you see nothing but the hard ground, littered with broken pieces of metal. As you continue forward, careful not to impale your soft skin on the sharp edges of these pieces, you are met by a terrifying sight. A gigantic green crocodilian creature leers at you from above, then jumps down to face you, teeth snapping. Instinct tells you that meeting that monster's jaws is the last thing you want to do...

[latent talon]

With the power of our mighty throw and sharpened metal(tm) we shall vanquish this beast!

[rugged pebble]

(I'm sorry about my slow replies, I was multitasking and neglected to turn pings on. Because of that, we might not finish this epic combat scene before I have to sleep...)

You dash away from the beast, picking up a long, deadly-looking stick from the ground. Reaching across your connection to the void, you press down a finger and let energy spiral into you before sending the makeshift spear flying forward. It strikes the creature on the nose and clangs off, halting its charge for a moment, but it seems to have a protective shell of some sort - it shrugged off what should have been a serious blow. You're rapidly losing ground as the monster continues to approach.

[latent talon]

Throw something to stun it, then flank it and throw a spear into it’s sides!

(Also no worries if it’s not finished today, there’s always later)

[rugged pebble]

_You quickly batter it with whatever projectiles you can find, forcing it to hiss and back away, and try to get around its bulky head. You rush past as fast as you can, but the beast isn't as stunned as it appeared. It clamps down its teeth, narrowly catching you in the side as you scramble past. Doing your best to ignore the pain, you drive home another spear into its exposed back. The tip sinks deep into its skin and stops it in its tracks. The creature falls limp under your vigorous assault.

As your adrenaline fades, you realize that the wound, although hardly fatal, is slowly bleeding. Ouch, it's painful, and no doubt it will become even more so if you don't do something about it.

The walls here are far too steep and slick to climb, and this injury won't help. You'll have to find another way forward._

[latent talon]

On the one hand: Success! We have felled the mighty beast!

On the other: ow

Should probably look for something we can use to heal it whilst trying to find a way out.

[rugged pebble]

The walls are extremely sheer. You aren't going anywhere except back the way you came without something more than these rudimentary sticks.

[latent talon]

Since we’re in no state to try free climbing it’s probably for the best that we head back and try another of the paths, but first… is the lizard edible?

If not then just take a spear on the way out and try hunt some of the insects

[rugged pebble]

You cautiously approach the lizard, preparing yourself for a disgusting taste, but it's actually not half as bad as you thought. You take a few more careful bites before digging in. That was quite a good meal, and you have the weird feeling...

◉◉◉◉|◉〇〇
...that you gained more than simple nourishment from it.

[latent talon]

Ooh, mysterious

Also yay, non-vegan meal options acquired

[rugged pebble]

You take a halfhearted try at hitting one of the insects anyway, but miss. Gathering up your weapon again and heading back out, you consider the #1158248136909803651 message remaining paths once more.

[latent talon]

Probably best to take the other easy path instead of going for the difficult climb for now

[rugged pebble]

Stepping into a relatively innocuous-looking room, the sun glares down at you harshly. As you shield your eyes, paying little attention to what’s ahead of you for a moment, what you took to be a simple pole stretching into the air lashes out and whips you with previously unseen tendrils. Consumed by fear, you bash indiscriminately at the crystal, pressing every last section of it. As the "pole" retreats downwards, pulling you with it, one void-finger lands upon the correct space, launching your spear out of your hands. The impostor returns to its den, part of it severed and lying on the ground.

[latent talon]

An understandable reaction to a pole plant

Good thing we had the spear!

[latent talon]

Maybe see what we can do with the severed part of the pole plant, could be useful

[rugged pebble]

_It's a long, flexible black rope-like object with a rough texture. You're able to tie it into a knot fairly easily. After fiddling with it for a bit, you end up tying it around your forehead for easier carrying. You imagine that it looks quite stylish as well.

It's rather hot out, so you proceed forward as quickly as your wound allows, resting in the shade when you can and gaining elevation all the time. At one point you meet a pair of the same green monsters you fought before. Luckily, they're too focused on biting and clawing at each other to notice the scent of blood that you're leaving behind you.

At last, a tunnel takes you back indoors into a room full of plant life. It's mostly moss, but that's more than what the previous areas you explored offered. You figure it's probably due to the puddles of water that linger here. There are also many glowing yellow and blue flowers of a kind you've never seen before. Three exits are visible to you - two forward, in different directions; and one leading up that can be accessed by a pole, which bears the same symbol as the room you slept in not too long ago._

[latent talon]

investigate the flowers, then try one of the forward directions

[rugged pebble]

_You pick up one of the yellow flowers. You haven't seen many flowers before, but you guess that this one is unusually large compared to most, and it glows with a soft, steady light. This must be what gives this room its unearthly shine.

Continuing back outside into the heat, you see a distinctive outcropping that resembles a face amid old wreckage and disused pipes. It almost seems that the face has a tongue, but upon closer inspection, it is actually a creature similar to the green ones you've seen before. This one is a violent shade of pink, however. There is also a fairly large tree growing underneath the outcrop._

[latent talon]

as much as i would love to slay another dragon, it's probably not a good idea to fight whilst injured

so lets go back and try door number 2

[rugged pebble]

You squeeze through a long, narrow tunnel before arriving at a familiar-looking location. It's the same place where you killed the first lizard, but now, thanks to your elevated position, you're able to pass it by with relative ease. Walking carefully to avoid a deadly fall, you look up and find a massive metal box, shaped roughly like a cube and held to the walls around it by poles. There are so many supports that it's no trouble to climb up below the box, and when you do, you see that it has several openings small enough for you to crawl inside. There are at least two possible paths from here, and perhaps more that have yet to come into view, since you have yet to reach the top...

[latent talon]

For my last contribution of the night, I’d say try to climb a little higher

[rugged pebble]

You struggle higher, little by little, until you reach the top of the box. Sure enough, there's a way inside directly in the center. You hop in to find a small hallway, which you follow until it drops you out in a curious little space. You saw some moss before, but here there's tall grass all around you, in some places growing to half your own height. Three more of those blue spheres hang down, nearly identical to the ones you ate as your first meal in this world. Thankfully, the oppressive rays that shone down when you awoke have been replaced by a gentle, warm light. A buzzing can be heard from above, but even as you crane your neck upwards to stare at the cliff rising in front of you, it's impossible to discover the source of the sound. Still, it's a peaceful sight.

[latent talon]

Might as well eat whilst we’re here

[rugged pebble]

_As you step into the grassy field, you feel a gentle tugging sensation. Gradually, it becomes stronger, until you realize it's coming from the grass itself. The fruit is growing almost right beneath the tallest part of the grass - staying there for more than a couple seconds is likely to mean death.

You turn your attention instead to the odd sound coming from higher up the cliff, which grows louder as an enormous blue and white bug with swiftly beating wings swoops down. and gently rams into your wounded side, sending you sprawling. By the time you've recovered your feet and the items you dropped in the fall, wincing with pain all the time, the bug has flown away. How rude._

[latent talon]

damn squidcada. at least we know what the grass does huh?

probably time to try another path then

[rugged pebble]

You decide that you need to start naming the various critters you come across. You call this bug... a "squidcada". Squidcada. Squiiid-cada! It means little more than nonsense to you, but you like the sound of it.

[rugged pebble]

Your sense of direction isn't great, but you manage to backtrack until you find a path that you don't think you've traveled before. As you walk down the passage, an unearthly purple glow catches your attention from above. A simple hop doesn't seem likely to get you the height you need, however. Without some way of augmenting your jump, that is...

[latent talon]

time for button experimentation!

[rugged pebble]

(I'm sorry, but you'll have to be more specific than that...)

[latent talon]

try throwing something to gain some height with the momentum maybe?

[rugged pebble]

Doubting that a flower will be much use in this regard, you carefully set it on the floor. Then, spear in hand, you prepare your most powerful void-leap yet. At the apex of the jump, you fling the spear downwards in the hope of pushing yourself further. Unfortunately, you're unable to twist your arms around to grab the pole in time, and you come crashing down. Not only that, but your only weapon is now hopelessly embedded in the floor.

[latent talon]

welp, was worth a shot

are there more paths left to take?

and hey, we know we can embed the spear into things if we need to now, should probably test if that can hold our weight before we move on

[rugged pebble]

Yes. But there is only one other one.

[rugged pebble]

You cautiously climb on top of the embedded spear. Even as you stand atop it, it stays perfectly straight, barely quivering. Unfortunately, that same sturdiness also stops you from picking it back up. What a powerful throw that must have been. You look up at the pole you tried to reach before, quite a bit closer now that you aren't standing on the ground...

[latent talon]

so we can either a; grab another spear from the room we killed the lizard in and use it to climb, or b; check the other route

probably best to go to grab the other spear, but on the way check the other room to see if it's got a way through it

[rugged pebble]

_You advance forward, leaving your spear and the strange light behind. Indeed, your mental map failed you - you find yourself standing atop an outcrop you're sure you've seen before. It's hard to tell for sure from this position, but it looks like the same head-shaped one that was near the #1158248136909803651 message mossy room. You've gotten completely turned around, but perhaps you'll find another spear here somewhere.

While searching atop the head, you start to shiver. When did it get so cold? Luckily, you find a spear not too long after that._

[latent talon]

time to try and climb by imbedding a spear in the wall then

[rugged pebble]

(Climb what...?)

[latent talon]

the wall in the other room

[rugged pebble]

_Returning with a second spear in hand, you leap up and drive the spear into a wall, managing to hang on to it and heave yourself up. Glancing down again, you realize that you've left the flower on the ground and drop down to retrieve it. All this climbing and falling is really starting to hurt, but at least you have that flower now. Why do you even keep carrying it around? You tuck it into your improvised headband for safekeeping and climb back up the spear ladder.

You step out into a very odd room indeed. It seems like a dead end, and the far wall has a curious pattern engraved upon it:_ ─┬──┬─ ─┤ ├─ ─╯ ╰─ You walk forward and touch the pattern. It pulses red as you place your palm against it. You have the weird feeling that it requires something that you lack... What in the world?

[latent talon]

well that's unfortunate

well if our mental map is a little messed up we might as well go exploring, see if we can find another room we missed

[rugged pebble]

Your wanderings take you back to the #1158248136909803651 message large box and down a tunnel yet unexplored. Following it, you pass by a couple of blue fruits - you call them "fruits" for lack of knowledge about their real nature - and gratefully snack on them.

◉◉◉◉|◉◉◉
You continue on until you reach another open space, full of boxes suspended in the air on poles. It's not clear what their purpose ever was, if they even had one. Exposed to the elements once more, the sting of the cold, or perhaps your cut, starts to become intense. You spot yet another one of that same #1158248136909803651 message symbol on a door, but that is not the only path open to you.

[latent talon]

best to check the symbol door first, then another path

[rugged pebble]

_Unfortunately, it's a near exact copy of what lay behind the first door sharing this symbol, but at least this one is a little roomier. You're ready for it, though, and slip back out before you get locked inside for the night.

You choose another direction to travel, and end up wandering down to a pool of water. This is the deepest pool you've seen yet, plenty large enough to swim in, and you do just that, marveling at how the water seems to cleanse your injury. You're not so grateful once you leave the water, though, as the moisture leaves you chilled to the bone in this swiftly cooling land. You're also a little worried that the flower on your head will freeze, as you've come to think of it as important without any clear reason why._

[latent talon]

better cold than injured

[rugged pebble]

(Do you want to proceed?)

[latent talon]

in an hour or two, got some stuff i need to get done rn

[latent talon]

okay, should be good to keep going for a bit

[rugged pebble]

The area beyond is covered in strange, unreadable graffiti, and the floor is a bit damp here. It's sheltered from the harsh wind, at least. Sadly, you haven't gone far before you're blocked by another dead end, this one with yet another engraving: ───┬─── ───┼─── ───┼─── ───┴─── The similarity to the other blocked area is uncanny, apart from the differing symbol. What could it all mean? There must be something functional left here, among the dead husks of machines. Some kind of device that could be activated. The only question is how?

[latent talon]

i guess if there's nothing left to do then might as well go sleep in that marked room

[rugged pebble]

◉◉◉〇|〇〇〇

Cold and wet, shivering in the chill air, you're glad to have somewhere to rest for a bit, even if it is uncomfortable. You wonder what the purpose of these bizarre barriers could possibly be, for through some instinctive knowledge you are sure they must be barriers of some kind. Who or what built them? And how might you pass? The questions rebound inside your brain as you lay down on the hard rock floor, until finally you manage to fall asleep.

(You unlocked... something else. You think so, anyway…)

Chapter 2: The Adventurer

_An urge to continue your exploration fills you. You know that the answers to all your questions arehidden somewhere in this wide world, and if they are not, something of interest surely is.

It's a clear and sunny day outside, with no evidence that it had ever been as cold as it was while you struggled into this tiny space. Another untrod path lies nearby, one of the many places you have yet to wander._

[latent talon]

Time to go exploring then, let’s search that new path

[latent talon]

(Also I’ll probably be falling asleep in a bit)

[rugged pebble]

You walk past the maze of weird structures, taking a moment to grab another spear on your way. As you continue forward, you're taken by surprise by a pink lizard crawling out of a nearby den. You've decided to call those things "lizards". You dash past and continue on your way with the lizard in pursuit. Eventually, you find that you've returned to #1158248136909803651 message somewhere you've already been. Oh well. Maybe you'll find something of note here.

[latent talon]

Well we can’t really eat the hanging fruit since the grass is still there, but maybe something else is around here we can find with a little searching

[rugged pebble]

You start searching in the smaller patches of grass, which are too short to cause any significant harm. There's more hidden around here than you expected. You find a couple of small insects too weak to survive even the gentlest pull of the grass, spears along with smaller pieces of rubble, and a perfectly round and very shiny metal sphere. All the while, the buzzing hum of squidcadas fills your ears as they watch you work.

[latent talon]

Can we eat the small insects or no?

Regardless, we should take the metal sphere, and see if we can take a spear as well…. Maybe the metal sphere is edible?

[rugged pebble]

Only one way to find out. You pop one of them into your mouth and crunch it down. You suppose they're edible, if not particularly tasty. Still, you would take them over no food at all.

◉◉◉◉|◉〇〇

[rugged pebble]

_You successfully shove the metal sphere in your mouth, but you're not sure if it was really edible. Does it count as edible if you don't gain any nourishment from it? After clearing your throat a few times in an attempt to clear the grit from it, you realize that maybe you should have washed it first.

Picking up some of the spears that were hidden in the grass, you find that you can't manage to hold two of them at once, however hard you try. You pick up one of the smaller rocks in your other hand instead._

[latent talon]

Nice, equipment acquired, time to go exploring again

And hopefully our mental map isn’t completely messed up, so we can find somewhere we haven’t been yet

[rugged pebble]

(Sorry, I haven't had time to get to this all day...)

You start walking around, trying to find somewhere you haven't been. After a while, you stumble upon a large pit that you are sure you haven't seen before. You cross it and continue onward, where you find an angry pink lizard blocking the way. What now?

[latent talon]

No rush

Also since we know where the healing pool is, we should be able to engage the lizard

A solid rock to the head followed by a spear to the stomach or side should do the trick, but if not we can always employ the joestar family secret technique

[rugged pebble]

_Just as you hoped, the rock bashes into the lizard's head, knocking it aside to leave an open shot for your spear. The lizard being badly injured from the attack, it tries to crawl away, but you take advantage. After impaling it once more, the lizard finally collapses.

The corpse lies in front of you, the neon light of the lizard's head still glowing faintly. A surge of adrenaline courses through your veins. Truly the predators of this world are no match for you._

[latent talon]

Aw yeah, we eating good today!

[rugged pebble]

Having already eaten those insects earlier today, you're already satiated, but you can't resist tearing into the lizard and sucking all that you can before finally leaving it behind. You find you're quite full afterwards.

◉◉◉◉|◉◉◉●
As you continue past your defeated enemy, you notice a high pole topped with a bizarre object of unknown origin. Coming closer, you can see a group of strange creatures milling about underneath. They don't seem to be trying to kill you, at least...

[latent talon]

Best to study them and the weird object before we think about getting close. They’re not trying to kill us now, but we can’t be sure if that won’t change in the near future.

[rugged pebble]

Each one appears to have some kind of mask on their head, with long antler-like attachments protruding from the top. They are mostly brown in coloration, but there is also one larger one that is almost pure white. Many of them are wielding spears much like your own in an uncannily intelligent manner, and some also have stuck spears to their back through unknown means. They meander about, not seeming to have noticed you yet.

[latent talon]

What about the object on the pole?

[rugged pebble]

It looks like a animal skull, brightly decorated with red and white, with some objects dangling from various points on it, which you can't identify at this distance. You wonder how they got it up there, as it seems extremely large and heavy for such small creatures.

[latent talon]

so all the evidence is pointing towards them being smart, so they shouldn't immediately attack us if we get closer in a non-threatening way. although we may need to drop the spear for a while and be prepared to run just in case

[rugged pebble]

You drop your spear and walk slowly towards the group. As you approach them, some wave their spears at you, pointy end extended. You're not sure what will happen if you try to continue - together, they could rip you to pieces, but for some reason, they're holding back. Or perhaps they are so weak that they can't throw the spears effectively, or don't understand them as a weapon. You never know.

[latent talon]

well if they managed to get the skull up on the pole i'd lean away from them being weak

and if they're carrying multiple spears then they're probably used to throwing them since they have backups

so maybe they're weary but holding back from a first strike

can we see the objects on the pole from here?

[rugged pebble]

You look up. As you stare at them, a memory stirs. These are the things you mistook for food earlier! But what would so many of them be doing here? They must have traveled far and wide to gather such a stash, but they don't seem to be putting them to any practical use. What is this pole doing here, anyway?

[latent talon]

conisdering they're in groups it's probably a territory marker

they must really like the pearls... we still have the one we swallowed in our stomach right? maybe if we bring it out and give it to them they'll calm down?

eating took holding the button down, maybe holding it down again will bring it back up

[rugged pebble]

_Your flash of intuition proves correct. You struggle to hold the button while your stomach spins unpleasantly, performing the process of eating in reverse, but eventually you manage it. The pearl pops out of your mouth and lands at the feet of one of the creatures.

One of them picks it up, and the creatures crowd around to examine it, seemingly uncaring of the coating you unwittingly applied to it in the delivery. After a moment, they seem to accept it as genuine. All of them turn and point their spears in the opposite direction in an almost synchronized motion._

[latent talon]

diplomacy for the win

[rugged pebble]

_Diplomacy has indeed prevailed here - you don't know what you would have done without that pearl with you. You walk past, assuring yourself that the creatures have no intention of hurting you. You walk on.

Soon after, you come to a third barrier. The engraving seems familiar._ ─┬──┬─ ─┤ ├─ ─╯ ╰─ As if resonating in your very soul, this room instinctively fills you with a deep sense of foreboding in a way that the others did not. Something tells you that you should fully commit yourself before touching the engraving.

[latent talon]

well unless we can nab a spear real quick there's not many places we can go other than the other gates

so i guess it's time to commit

[rugged pebble]

_You steady yourself and place your hand upon the engraving. Rather than a red pulse of failure, it shines bright white, seeming to fill the whole room with light. You feel the floor shake as gears turn behind you as a wall rises up, trapping you in the narrow space between barriers. The symbol continues to glow, even stronger in the confined space.

The sound of rushing water fills your ears a second before it crashes down directly above you, leaving you soaked. Steam blasts from hidden vents at the sides. Clang. Slowly, ever so slowly, the engraving darkens and the center door grinds open._

More graffiti decorates the walls as you wander past the gate, which slams behind you. The next room is a dull brown, contrasting the gray you've come to know. A large plant stands off to the side. The sign you've come to know as representing a small locking room is painted on the floor.

[latent talon]

might as well investigate the plant

[rugged pebble]

The plant's red skin is hard and rough. It's attached to the ground by a stalk and firmly rooted in place. You pull on it in an attempt to open it, but it is unyielding. The plant tapers to a sharp tip at the top.

[latent talon]

do we have a rock or spear we could try hitting it with?

[rugged pebble]

You still have both, having picked them up in the grass before your encounter with the lizard. The rock is unsuccessful, simply making the plant sway in place, but the spear causes it to pop open, the skin falling to the sides. Inside, it's filled with bright yellow kernels that emit a strong, pleasant smell.

[latent talon]

ah food, unfortunate that we've already overeaten

good to know for later though

speaking of, might as well go sleep off the food in the locking room

[rugged pebble]

◉◉◉◉|〇〇〇

You enter the room and wait as the door shuts automatically behind you, leaving the interior dark. Flush with the achievements of the day, you fall asleep quickly, but not without thinking for a moment about one final question: Why did that barrier open when the others did not? One other one even shared an engraving. Strange.

(Something was unlocked.)

Chapter 3: The Traveler

The gate is open. Your boundaries are expanded. And you are not much closer to the knowledge you crave than you were. Eventually you'll be there. In the meantime, why not see what lies beyond?

[latent talon]

time to explore then

[rugged pebble]

Continuing forward, you find a room with steep pillars and long drops in between. You cannot see what is on the bottom from here. A pair of... squidcadas... dance in the warm air.

[latent talon]

probably best to try avoid them knocking us off if we can. is there any other way around or do we have to try dodging them?

[rugged pebble]

You look around, desperate for a way to avoid the meddlesome squids. No, it seems that the only way to avoid them would be to suicidally jump down one of the pits, which yawn ominously beneath.

[latent talon]

sounds like we'll have to risk it then

[rugged pebble]

While hopping between the platforms, carefully watching your step, a squidcada brushes up against you, but it doesn't knock you off. Instead, you find your hands instinctively closing around its body as it flies about. You feel quite light as it pulls back and forth, fighting against gravity.

[latent talon]

Well that should make the crossing easier at least

Just have to keep a tight grip

[rugged pebble]

(I'm sorry, but... I don't think I'll ever complete this. I'm just not motivated enough... Perhaps someday.)
(I know it's disappointing, but I don't really know how to continue this...)

Game Over - Press DELETE THREAD to Restart

[latent talon]

No problem man, as a fellow writer I know how loosing motivation can be