tampered | EXPEDITION PLOT | looking for answers

EXPEDITION PLOT | looking for answers

When; September 23rd.
Rating; R for swearing, otherwise TBA.
Characters; Luke, Asch, Guy, Jade, Tear, Dean, Sasuke, Yuri, Dave, Rose, and Klarth.
Summary; More exploration.

| DAY 20 | Beneath the Sands
{music}

[It seems the expedition group has been lucky enough to find more than one oasis in this desert. Signs of civilization, on the other hand... It makes one feel incredibly isolated, more than the heat and harsh wind ever could.

Today looks like another long day of hiking. Unfortunately, deserts come with their own obstacles.]

[ooc: ~~Please wait until all sections are up before commenting!~~ DONE.

Threadjack, threadhop, backtag etc, you know the drill.]

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[As everyone stirs and prepares for the day ahead, one might notice that his bags are a little lighter. During the night, something nibbled at the corners and broke into the food. Judging by the scent and the tracks, it was some kind of tiny rodent army.

So much for having two month's worth of food. The expedition might last another week if they're lucky.]

[Asch scowls as he transfers one holey supply sack into an empty bag that he'd patched up.]

There.

[The rodents ransacked an awful lot. The trip won't last much longer between this and the replica wasting ingredients on that failed cake attempt.]

We can still divvy these up into rations. But we probably won't even last a week if anything else happens.

[Klarth watched Asch transfer each item as he too felt concerned of just how much they've eaten. This wasn't good.]

We've let our guards down too much after the last oasis. [Not that the heat and traveling is helping in the least bit.]

Perhaps we should do shifts to avoid further surprises.

[It's probably better if they turn back. But there's something half-buried in the sand not too far from camp, some kind of metal object... What could it be?]

[While Rose is certainly peeved by the sudden loss of supplies, she's channelling that anger into trying to be constructive. Thus, when the glint of metal catches her eye she's all over it, crouching to clear off the debris to see what lies beneath]

[Asch notices the girl straying away before stooping in investigation. He approaches silently and just a little ways behind her when he notices that metallic shine. His eyes narrow as he zones in on it.]

Think it might be something important? [He'll get agitated if it's another useless thing like that stupid brown lizard that jumped into his face a couple nights ago.]

[She looks up at Asch's question but soon goes back to trying to get a better view of the object]

Possibly. Of course, it could be something else intent on killing us but I think we'd know by now if that was the case.

[Considering, you know. She's been poking it for the last few minutes]

[After some minutes of digging at various plants and sand, it appears to be the hilt of a sword. Some tugging should also reveal the tarnished blade attached to it. There isn't anything special or magical about it, but it has seen use... and some weather.]

[As Rose reveals the hilt, she grasps and pulls the rest of the sword free of the sand. She gives it a scrutinising gaze, though it's a little on the heavy side for her to lift. Unlike some people she knows, she's not trained in swordplay]

Well, I think it's safe to say someone - or something, at least - has been this far before.

[...that was anticlimactic. Asch sighs, offering to take the sword from her.]

Yeah. [He hasn't let his guard down once, but things have been one disappointment after another.] I guess we should head back.

Yes...

[She glances up, giving a wry smile]

I think expecting anything as lavish as a pot of gold by this point is doomed to failure.

[There's another metallic glint a few yards away. It belongs to another sword, this one well-worn and... shattered beneath the hilt. By much force. The larger pieces of the blade lay scattered about, the smaller ones lost to time.]

[Asch moves to investigate this suspicious shining object but finds himself disappointed upon discovering yet another sword. But he notices there's a different wear and tear to this one.]

Whoever used this was fighting a powerful opponent, but we haven't really seen anything dangerous since arriving here.

[Rose looks up, frowning a little]

With any luck, whatever they were fighting is long gone.

[Watch your step. The sand suddenly gives way into a pit filled with brush and damp, cool dirt. It smells a little like water, so it's probably worth exploring.

The passage angles downward. After a few minutes, it opens up into a wide underground cave. Hope someone brought a torch to see with.]

Is everyone okay!? [Asch asks as he sifts through his bags--could've sworn he'd brought an emergency lantern.]

Aa. Somewhat.

[Klarth slowly began to sit up, feeling the pain run its course through his body. Man, could he feel his age now.]

Where are we?

Somewhere cooler than the desert. There's some moisture in the air, less sand and more earth.

[He finally gets the lantern out and lights it up.]

We could still investigate. At least, we'll be able to refresh our water supply if we find any here.

[He gave the initial glance around once the pain began to subside and slowly stood up. Placing a hand onto the wall, he concurred.]

Hm. That would be our best bet. [He sighed as he looked up and scratched his head under his hat.] Well, not that we have much of a choice anyhow.

[He used the blastia Rita gave him to emit a small light through his mana. It wasn't much but at least it was something.]

Lead the way, Asch and I'll take the back with this.

[The cave leads downward, curving slightly to the right. The sides are dusty and faintly damp. This could have been part of a dried up oasis once.]

[There are definite signs of someone having been here. It's risky without a chance to resupply, but they can't turn back with the answers so close.

There's another oasis in the distance. The sun is already beginning to set, offering a reprieve from the heat.

They'll be okay.]

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EXPEDITION PLOT | looking for answers

DAMN YOU, MURPHY

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A CLUE

Re: A CLUE

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THOSE BEFORE US

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FORGING ONWARD