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Going in at a cautious pace, and almost skimming the ragged canopy of giant zambie kelp to keep a low profile, the Solar Flare covers the remaining distance to the edge of the forest in a bit over an hour. Some errant fronts have hitched a lift here and there, and are trailing putrid stipes and air pods from the oar-fins, neck, and curled tail of the sea-horse-monster-ish submarine. The terrain drops away into murky shadows, but the Captain heeds Martin's advice and orders further descent into that shifting darkness, dimming the running lights and relying on Moore's sonar skills and Cristholm's keen eyes and light touch on the steering controls. Merrisol keeps back from the viewport as there is nothing to see, standing by the periscope column for now. He asks Quinlan to sit in Ops and add to their data pool.
Quinlan does so, retaining the smaller and less room-absorbing fox form and perching on the edge of a console. It might well be construed as a gesture of trust, since a fox is not exactly a deadly powerhouse of an animal. Or possibly he just forgot to bring a change of clothes and so opted for fur. Red, pointed ears flick forward and side. Senses peeled, as it were.
RPG: Quinlan declares that he has the Arcanis Earth (ARC-EA) gift. Use '+gift ARC-EA' to view the gift description. Last edit: 84 months ago.
RPG: Quinlan declares that he has the Intuit Power (PAT-IP) gift. Use '+gift PAT-IP' to view the gift description. Last edit: 55 months ago.
RPG: Quinlan declares that he has the Analyze Power (MAG-AP) gift. Use '+gift MAG-AP' to view the gift description. Last edit: 55 months ago.
In the olden times, back before there was a race known as Rebmans and back long before the Tritons and into darkness of the past is when this part of the sea began to take shape. Huge rocks jetted up and collided against each other over millennia. Billowing underground lava rushed up to meet the cold dark abyss and crushed and molded into the great trench known as the Soldieve deeps. It is here that the Black water lurks and leviathan sleeps. Someone once told a story about how brave adventurers drove leviathan to the edge of the world ... but that is a lost tale. The story of leviathan did not end there and the sea whispers that it remains deep in the dark, silent and recovering from that ordeal. Or perhaps it is another one. The only way to find out for sure is to go looking and such a thing is a task only meant for the bravest of heroes.
The Earth is thick here, an ancient crust riddled with secrets not so easily penetrated. In fact, it is more than a little difficult to even 'see' beyond a hundred feet and the only reason any of you can is due to the lights that the Solar Flare gives off. Imagine a world where the sun doesn't touch, where light does not penetrate and where any manner of creature could lurk and that is the dark, quiet expanse. Every so often you come across a great stone mound going up and jutting here and there from the sea floor. Those mounds do not seem natural in spite of the coral growing on it. The solar flare sense and indeed anyone who can, knows that life is around you. Occasionally you see the deep sea denizens skitter away or come closer to inspect the curious vessel. The creatures are like none you see in shallower waters, some are even completely translucent. The most curious things are the mounds that jut up to the surface. Black Water is present for those that can sense such things following along one of the currents on the far side of the deeps. A fish the size of a man's head mistakes the Solar Flare for food bigger than its head and swims to take a bite! Since it tastes bad, there is no further attempt to make it a midday meal. Is it daytime? Only those with a sense of time would know.
Quinlan's muzzle wrinkles. "Oh yeah. Black water all over. And ...seals. Would you like to see what I smell? Would it help?"
After an undetermined amount of time; but less than an hour, Maggie returns to Ops. She brings a tray of beverages and sandwiches for the dedicated crew. Since the Rebman beverage containers keep things from getting into the drink contained, it stands to reason that they also can keep the fluids inside so have been adapted for use aboard the vessel. Yes, folks, Maggie is bringing everyone aboard a beverage in a glorified sippy cup - Travel sized. Looking up to the view port, she frowns at the next-to-nothing visible. Merrisol gets a sort of distracted, if warm, smile that shifts as she listens to Quinlan. "I would. Yeah. If that is possible."
Miriam has been around, though more often than not recently she's just quietly watching and listening to the others. This is one of those times. She's sipping a glass of wine, and apparently just enjoying the company and view. When there is one.
That little flicking gesture Quinlan's been known to make with his hands, to cast illusions, in fox form is a flick of each tail in a synchronized twitch. A small-scale illusion of the waters and terrain outside the viewport takes shape in the middle of the room. It even has little ripples of current flowing over the images. Over this Quinlan has added three things; at the far side of the deep, inky yet translucent swirls of blackness, and little sparkles of red that are probably something else. And at the bottom, a sort of ghostly, milky whiteness that seems to form a border.
"Black is black water," says the foxmage. "Red is what I can smell of Seal magic. And below us is a big, big, Poke If You're Suicidal something."
Details are sketchy due to something at the heart of the deeps. The map that is brought up is kind of piecemeal, some sort of old power here that scrying doesn't get past easily. The Trench is vast with caves here and there at the top leading downwards to what it's unclear that's the ghostly bobbins on the map. There are several massive non-natural mounds but made to look like natural mounds. Someone who was here may have used magic to create them. They just like sentinels, nine in all, all arranged in a kind of v-like pattern towards one at the far end where the dark water is most prominent. These are new, and there is no record of them, anywhere.
Quinlan adds a few bits of a sparkly silver, some new magic presumably. Or old, and just newly discerned. And a cartoonish white glove, with a pointing finger, points down at one of the red-sparkly mounds that isn't as red as some of the other red areas. "This one's fading. I don't know what's under it," Quinlan is quick to note, "but I think a problem there is that we're all likely to find out soon. Unless maybe you can drag a Karm down here to refresh it."
Merrisol notes Maggie's entering with food and drink, reflects her smile with one of his own, but doesn't reach for any refreshment at the moment. He studies the map with quick analyzing darts of his gaze, determining their position based on the unnaturally looming volcanic outcrops sometimes coming into sight through the viewport. As the running map begins to describe the oceanography leading up to and then around the deep trench, he gets Cristholm to stop following the contours of the sea bed and maintain a level depth to clear the weird mounds as outlined in red.
Commandeering the periscope column, he hazards switching on the external microphone mounted within the snout of the sea horse figurehead. The environmental sounds of the deep sea are transmitted through funnel-like amplifiers into the bridge, as though to add to the illusory animations seen before them. "Anything like what we encountered in the current or the volcano forge?" he asks, eyes still comparing the map to the shadowy sights through the viewport.
RPG: Merrisol declares that he has the Animal Speech: Ocean (ANI-SP) gift. Use '+gift ANI-SP' to view the gift description. Last edit: 85 months ago.
RPG: Merrisol declares that he has the Animal Empathy (ANI-EM) gift. Use '+gift ANI-EM' to view the gift description.
RPG: Merrisol used the following +declare targets: Bridge Operations - Solar Flare
The one at the far end could probably hold the Solar Flare comfortably if it was vertical.
Maggie leaves the tray of sippy cups in reach and moves over to stand on one side of the display, "Ah. The seal magic is Karm-style seals, by the way. Not mammalian. Er. Wait. I guess Karms are mammals. Not... Aquatic seals." She studies the illusion for a while, her gaze flickering over the elements. "Anyway! Okay. So... There is mirror magic here as well, right?" Her attention keep shifing from the projection to Merrilol, then to Quinlan and back again. "So... If I am reading this correctly, Quin, there is Black Water leaking over there where the Karm Seal magic smells weakest. And... Uh. That is mirror magic, right? Is it weakest there or stronger?"
The fox bobs its head. "SIlver for ...I'm pretty sure it's mirror magic. It smells like the mirror I was given, anyway. I'm not on as firm ground there."
The mirror magic is equally weak, everywhere. There are no animals swimming around that look like they would be losing their skin though any that have swum through the Black Water have become corrupted. There is something alive inside that mound at the far end but not in the other mounds. With all the magical interference and the Black Water it is hard to tell how big it is, what species and temperament.
Miriam sips her wine as the others speak, She notes then, before becoming quiet again "I'd be happy t'look for any sleeping minds there, of course."
One might have to get a bit closer to get a better sense.
Merrisol monitors the magic analysis, looking somewhat startled to learn that mirror magic has also been employed here. He reports his own initial findings on the animal life present and their random jibber-jabber, as well as the beastly lodgers or lack thereof within the mounds, more uncertainly. He looks over at Miriam, frowning cautiously. "Does that open your mind to whatever sentience is around here? I don't advise this, Princess. Lord Graham gave Maggie and I a taste of what a chaos-corrupted dream realm is like," he explains. "I don't think you should go anywhere out there, at least not without the help of other dream guides." He turns a moment to Maggie and Quinlan to seek their own opinions on the matter, however.
Quinlan flicks one ear back. "My studies in dream magic are sketchy at best, Merri. I wouldn't feel right implying what she can and can't do. She definitely knows her own limits better than I could guess them."
Maggie flickers Merrisol a glance as he brings up Graham and that adventure. She looks altogether sober as she nods, "That was pretty awful. But... if it won't leave you open for invasion, Miriam, it would be good to know." Turning back, she nods to Quinlan, "It smelled weak to me, but I am still uncertain of my ability to sort through the senses. If that makes sense."
Mr. Moore is nervous tension personified as he perches at his own sensory board, headphone-style gear held in a death-grip as though ready to tear the instrument off his head at the first hint of a jump-scare. Ms. Cristholm likewise seems to be struggling with a keen reluctance to take the Solar Flare past the ridges and mounds over the gaping trench. For it is dark and full of terrors.
Miriam thinks about Merrisol's question, then shakes her head. "There shouldn't be a risk t'me. I'd just be finding it'n Dream." She looks towards the viewport again, before adding "I think I'd need t'be closer, though. T'where y'think it is. I understand'f that's too big a risk, though."
That which is not large and ferocious tends to appear cute and fuzzy. Quinlan decides to play morale officer while the more leadery types lead, by headbutting nervous-looking crewmembers in an arm or leg. Scritch the furry fox! Scritch! ...At least he's not a ferret?
The SF wobbles and drags as Cristholm's reticence attracts some attention from large blind codfish grabbing at the trailing seaweed. The helmswoman breathes harder, calling through the intercom to Miss Kirkman to fix the issue before they get tugged into the horrible pit. She puts her hand down from the com switch only to find her palm on something furry instead of steely. She stares at the fox in surprise, and then her fingers wiggle a bit in the luxuriant headfur between the ears. The Captain obliviously calls for her to follow the map's direction to reach the furthest mounds, and after a moment, she gently shoves the dork aside and complies, with a vocal acknolwedgement.
There is something looming. Maggie can smell it. It is close and getting closer. Maggie's eyes open wide and the color drains from her cheeks. Abandoning her study of the visual representation of what Quin's magical senses are seeing, she sidesteps to reach around Ms. Cristholm, "Excuse me. We have to lift. Now." She could wait for the other woman to react, but... she does not. "I am sorry. There is no time." So, without waiting for the poor woman to react or move, Maggie takes the controls and stears the ship on a different heading. Up and up, then, away from ... something sensed. "Quin?" Her tone is oddly calm. For those who know her, it is a particular type of calm, steady, certain, with the underlying steel that precludes panic. Something is definitly amiss.
Quinlan is reacting too. In fox form panic takes the shape of a suddenly MUCH FLUFFIER LOOKING fox as all that thick fur stands up. And a yip that sounds like someone doing unspeakable things to a corgi before the mage gets a grip on his magic. Before the viewscreen - so, outside the ship, in the water - as well as on the little representative map, a bright white LINE of illusion magic takes form. "Move! Move it away! Bad!" One can only guess he means 'don't hit the line with the ship'. Mr. Superfuzzy is suddenly all paws and no opposable thumbs, and clearly, *right now* would really prefer thumbs but doesn't have time to change.
Merrisol says, "How long do you need to enter your.. dream trance?" Merrisol asks Miriram, after considering the woman and the encouragements from the others. "I only want to linger long enough for a couple of passes. We can organize our collected data on the way back to the city. If there is nothing of the tainted organics expelled into the Sea here, then there is further evidence based on Quinlan's map, that the cave systems are an alternate route through which the stuff has been able to pop up in different areas of the whole territory. All this other business," he gestures to the areas reported to be weak or fading, "maybe directly related, or another problem waiting to-...!" He looks to Maggie in alarm as she demonstrates a hitherto unknown ability to pilot a submarine.
Merri immediately grabs the intercom switch and barks, "Kirkman, steep ascent! Cycle those tanks now." Thuds ring out under the grated floor as sea water rapidly pumps out of the ballasts to be replaced by air from the compressed tanks.
When the redheads sense that something very, very bad, so does Miriam. Her eyes widen hugely. She can't exactly get any paler, though. Unfortunately, there's nothing she can do to help, since Maggie's already at the helm. All she can do it stare in the direction of the bad thing. All she manages, quietly, is "Oh, shit."
Having a bunch of magical types aboard is certainly useful in this instance. Who knows what that leyline would have triggered. This is a place where crazy lifeforms thrive.
Blighted runners of giant kelp fly off the fins as they angle into an upward sweep and the hug back propeller guns to full throttle. Upon jettisoning its water weight, the Solar Flare ascends much more steeply and rapidly, without the floor tilting awkwardly vertical.
That type of quick maneuvering does gain a little more interest with the native denizens of the area. It's a little too bright for them to want to venture towards it though. For now.
Pilot a... Maggie looses even more of her coloring as she realizes what she is doing. Oh, help. Looking briefly at Ms. Cristholm she nods toward the controls. "Please. Please take over. And forgive me for interfering in your duty, Ms. Cristholm. I... We just needed to be away from there and... I've been watching. But that does not mean that I am competant." And acting on Pattern born instinct only gets one so far.
Cristholm holds back a moment out of both shock and respect for Maggie, but she firmly retakes the controls from her once the other woman has released her grip on the steering and throttle.
Quinlan has managed to get his fur back down, so at least he looks a bit less like a red stuffie toy. The long muzzle's sniffing intensely at the air. "There might be more of those. Guys, this place was set with traps. And *we* - well, the ship, and beings like me, non-aquatics - we're what were going to trigger it. Native sea-beings don't trigger it. That's why we didn't sense it until we were almost on top of it. It wasn't *active* until not-sea beings got near." The fox's head turns then, looking at the illusion-map it's made. With, now, that white streak of trap line added. "Got a choice, I think. Explore just with native Rebmans, so you don't have to worry about those traps? Or pilot *really slowly*, prepared to change direction at a moment's notice, and map out the trap triggers?"
Once the immediate danger is gone, Miriam blows out a breath of relief and promptly finds a seat. After she finds a very large refill of her drink. Then she goes back to listening, since this is a little more pressing than getting close enough to find something bad in Dream.
Merrisol keeps hold of a rung on the periscope column, switching off non-essential controls so the power is devoted to hightailing it. Meanwhile, he looks from Maggie, to Quinlan, to Miriam, then back to Maggie, awaiting some explanation for the emergency takeover. He listens to and nods to the fox, frowning. "The SF is not considered aquatic.. or Rebman enough?" He seems to find affront in this notion, but lets it go with a shrug.
Maggie nods to Cristholm when she retakes her controls and station. A fierce blush suffuses her cheeks and she rubs her hands on her jeans. Closing her eyes for an instant, she forcefully sheds her panic-mode and listens to Quinlan, "Yeah, that's what I smelled. Sudden and immediate danger." Licking her lips, she shakes her head, "No... The Flare is... Not organic. So, organic aquatic life or we go really slowly."
Quinlan nods. "I'm good either way. Just not with 'let's swim into one of those lines to see what happens'. I don't think I want to know."
As the viewport is showing a good amount of light in the water now, Merrisol calls for a transition to a gentle rise to the surface. "The solar cells need replenishing," he notes, "so we'll have today and tonight to consider the next course. The next time we descend.. we ought to ask someone from House Karm along, yes?"
Maggie moves back from Ms. Cristholm's station. She still looks a bit on the pale side, hands lowered to wipe against her jeans. They then tuck into her pockets and she looks up to Merrisol and Quinlan, "I would, yes. I don't know much at all about seal magic, but Quin might know more. It would be good to have an expert though."
"I know *about* it," says Quinlan slowly. "Which is to say, I know it when I smell it, and given time and proximity I can probably sniff out some details about a specific seal. But I can't *use* the magic. I can't mend a seal, or break one. That's Karm's power, and Karm keeps it. And any Karm that can use Seals would know more about them than I ever could. The difference between theory and practice is never negligible."
Merrisol nods after listening to both responses. His gaze lingers on Maggie pensively, but so far he is declining to make issue of her wresting control from his navigator. "I'll see if Martin can get in touch with Duke Karm, then. And you have Ryika's card, I hope, Maggie? I want to know what mirror magic is meant to be doing down there in conjunction with the seals."
- - - - - - - - - -
The Solar Flare is up bright and early, to gather up some sunrise before shutting its hatches and making the slow descent under the waves. The tides and currents have carried the vessel off point by a significant amount, but now that the location has been charted and various details transposed from Quinlan's geographical survey illusion. If only the whole Seabed map could look as fancy as this horrible place. In any case, the similarly refreshed crew are back at their stations, getting the submersible back to the correct coordinates while it sinks.
Ruby pokes her head around hatchways until she sights the right assortment of gathered people. Earlier, she had some longing looks to spare up towards the ceiling hatches and the sunshine beyond it. She mosies back into the Ops sections.
The sentinel mounds remain where they were none have moved. The Dark water still lurks around the one at the far end. Sea life being not so intelligent go about their business even in corrupted waters. The cold dark descent into the deep is a little creepy given how dark it is out here. Strange creatures lurk in that inky blue and watch the Solar Flare with curiousity but marine life has more of a tendency to run away from things bigger than they are and unfamiliar. Only the bravest of the beasties attempt to latch themselves onto the hull only to be rewarded with a broken tooth for their effort and a headache. Most intelligent underwater life steers well clear of this place, and if they don't... it is probably a good idea not to encounter them. The map now has a bit more too it but the the earth remains a blotchy white only showing a few of the caves here and there. The leyline that the ship almost had a close encounter with is gone, but the spell is still there and Quinlan's map shows the trigger point.
Merrisol is explaining the situation to Ryika as best he can, and looking to Quinlan for magical corroboration. Essentially, the initial check-up on the Soldieve Deeps indicated deterioration in a Karm seal at the mouth of the great dark trench. Hence, they have gotten in touch with House Karm through Martin, and will hopefully see help arrive soon, from that front. Additionally, weak points of mirror magic were also sensed in the area, the function and strength of which a Mirror Mage would need to ascertain. We're lookin' at you, Ryika. Still more, and then some: There are apparently magical traps seeded all about the canyon-esque gorge, and those, they must all work together in locating and avoiding. "We almost hit one.. a 'ley line'..?" Merrisol says, clearly asking for help defining the term. "Maggie sensed it in time, and saved our bacon," he smiles, gaze skating the room at large in case his spouse is around to get smiled at some more.
Quinlan is largely quiet, today. The fox - for so he has stayed, to avoid taking up too much space in the confines of the submarine - is perched on a console with a view out one of the windows, sniffing the air as the vessel floats gently and slowly through the waters. What he senses, he adds to the illusory navigational map; bright white lines have been added over the course of the day, between the mounds. The area seems fairly well booby trapped.
"Are the mirrors on one of the ley lines?" Ryika asks as she tries to absorb the current flood of information, and mixing and matching it with what she knows and doesn't know, and perhaps should know.
Ruby gives that strange map-thingy a wide berth, stealing glances at it for when it all but blows up or somehow reads her thoughts and broadcasts it to the room at large. So obviously she doesn't spot Quinlan in fox-form right away. No, it's her nose that eventually clues her in to the idea that something exotic is sharing the recycled air. She shivers and presses her palm against the window and peers over towards Merrisol and Ryika. EreWhuuzzat. She blinks and spies the creature just hanging out. Like this is all normal. A quick peek to the others, all of whom are not reacting with surprise or shrieks. Ruby turns her attention back to QuinFox.
Merrisol waves Ruby inside to the bridge, or over their way, even. Quinlan is a fox so she can loom, it seems! "I'll show you how to operate the periscope," he offers to her, quite serious. "It takes quite a bit of muscle to handle smoothly, and will give you about three-hundred degrees of viewing angle. There are red shields over the eye crystals, that your Captain Kell designed, which cast a red spectrum beam that many aquatic critters cannot discern. We are performing a delicate descent to get closer to that sealed.." Don't say booby, don't say booby... damn it, Quin! "../mound/, and it is essential that we spot all the traps to be avoided along the...." He shakes his head, growing distracted as he realizes he has accepted a trump transmission at some point. "Uh.. one moment, please. Yes, go ahead.. ah, Templeton."
"I don't know where any actual mirrors are," Quinlan admits; the voice coming from the non-moving muzzle of the two-tailed fox. "Just traces of mirror magic. I don't know enough about mirror magic to say whether that means a mirror has to be there. Or even shards of one."
Ruby is successfully urged over to the contraption. Word that Mei had some part of its innards goes some distance to making her less skeptical about staring into the thing. Quinlan's voice from the fox-form startles her and she looks to Merrisol for confirmation that everything is still hunky dory. The voice /sounds/ like Quinlan. She tries to drag her attention back to the periscope. "Traps...Aye?" she takes a deep breath and lays hands on the device. "Mooscle, not'ah problem, roight? I gots mooscles." Ruby blinks each eye rapidly in turn. A furious warm-up series of winks.
"I can probably get a feel for them, or at least see what I can sense." Ryika nods to the fox, clearly not freaked out by the two tailed fox that just projects words. "It might.. well.. shards, or mirrors, or just bits of magic. I might have to go out there to look though."
The image of Mercier frowns slightly as the contact comes into mental focus and theres a flurry of activity. "I... was trumping to follow up on something, as I seem to do a lot lately, and frankly, I think I should just stay aboard your ship. It seems you're always operating with the usual suspect there." He cocks his head, "My apologies if I'm interrupting.
Maggie is standing near the other end of the viewport from where Quinlan perches. She, too, is sniffing out that-a-way. Motioning with one hand, she indicates lines or magic she senses on her side of the ship. Hearing Merrisol's description of her actions sparks a smile his way. Husbands are truly wonderful people. Ryika and Ruby are spotted and she waves slighly before turning her attention back to the task at hand. "You know...? Ther eis magic in those pillar formations. Not just what extends from one to the other. It..." She sniffs a bit, eyes narrowing, "I think it is mirror magic..." Then more surely, "Yes. Yes, it is."
Quinlan flicks an ear. "So...who does the Court of Rebma know that is powerful enough with wards to lay these traps?" he asks, curious. "Because the ley line wards? Maybe a year or so old at most. Whoever laid them down is still around."
Merrisol is luckily devoting most of his focus to some inner vision, and misses the obscene amount of winks Ruby gives him. He smiles distractedly to one side as he overhears some good words in passing. "Thank you, Ryika. I will try to get the sub as close as possible to anything that needs checking, rather than have any of us need to swim out there.." he vows, then subsides as he listens to the mystical voice inside his head. "I hope that's a joke, Templeton.. permanent residency," he mumbles with a shudder of what /might/ be amusement. "Although-" he abruptly speaks back up to the room at large, "If we don't get hold of a Karm soon, we just /may/ have to resort to old-fashioned methods and head out there with stethoscopes." He quiets, and mumbles to Mercier. "Do you have any Karms on the hook, by any chance..?"
Ruby wrestles with the periscope and pushes her eyes up to the part where she's seen Merrisol do it a bunch. "Bloody Bog, it's darker than'ah Oc-toc-a-la-puses arse oot there." She tugs at the controls, seeing not much because she's probably thumbed the wrong thing. Ruby changes her footing, adopting a wider stance in case this might actually help. The muscles of her back acquire some definition as she considers using some force in the matter. "These trippy-traps. They show'oop rally well? Whut aboot monstahs, aye?" She seems a little oblivous to Merrisol trying to juggle a Trump convo at the same time and tries to alter the view with a more intelligent use of the controls instead of intuition.
The image of Mercier nods numbly, from his little room that he normally ends up in, "Yes... that would be a /humorious notion/, Mister Merrisol. I don't believe that would be conduscive to either of our health, and frankly, living in that giant moving caisson is a little beyond my nerves." He qualifies, before hrming, looking up slightly, though still concentrating on the card. The peg and gear assembly in his head clicks around, "No... sadly I don't have contacts in Karm... that I can call on anyway. What, precisely, do you need?"
Maggie listens and shrugs to Quinlan's query, "Uh. Well. The Duke of Karm, the Queen of Amber. I know that Gil's a powerful Seal mage. Or... I think he is. And I've heard that the Queen is a mirror mage, but I don't know how skilled. Um... Then there is Ryika's House. A lot of Ygraynes are mirror mages. Some pretty powerful, I hear. Uh. Oh, and there is Merrisol's aunt. Though again, I don't know what her skill level... Actually? I'm not sure that she is a mirror mage." She flickers a glance over toward Merrisol, then to Ruby with the periscope. "I don't think you can see the triplines, Ruby. But, you should be able to see any animals that swim up. And... maybe the surrounding sea? I'm not sure. It is pretty dark out there."
Gears grind beyond the ceiling and there's a hydraulic chug of spinal innards as the sea horse head raises from its complacent S-curve neck and swivels to and fro. Wow, Ruby makes it look so easy, getting that huge skull to go nope-nope-nope. Also: Yup-yup-yup. The wide-angle viewing lens is actually in the mouthpiece, as is the external mic. The fishy ears and headfins are the amplifiers and the receivers. It all makes sense, honest.
"The ward isn't Karm magic, is what I'm saying," says the fox. "So...yeah. It would seem a Rebman made this setup. Recently. Or possibly a ..." The fox stops, head tilting left and right. "Was Mom here in the past year?"
Ruby forces her lips over to one side, because obviously she'll be heard easier this way when her face is occupied with the novelty of the periscope. She leans in and really presses her face in there good. Merri said 300 degrees of viewing and she's going to test that out by Bog. And in fully red-light, bell-whistle, super-duper vision. Especially if she can chance upon the sights and scares of the undersea. Things that can be seen before they wash up, deflate and scare the heck out of folk. She's about to turn around to address Maggie while still using the periscope and cancels that endeavor in favor of yammering out the side of her mouth again. "Aye...ani-mals. But will they see me, aye?"
Merrisol stares into the middle distance, frowning in silence while he absorbs Mercier's reply and yet catches snippets of detail in his own location, as well. Mr. Moore giving constant updates on the depth reading and incoming critters larger than a breadbox.. Quinlan asking about the Who's Who of Rebma.. Maggie wondering about Merri's powerful great-aunt.. Ruby's thumb getting dangerously close to the Awhoogah horn switch.. and that by-now infuriating *bing~* from one of the machines that go bing! "I need.. to get back to work. You want in - then come through. We're about to maneuver through the space above a trench infested with Black Water and Lir knows what else, to examine what is left of the wards or seals laid down to keep Leviathan from rising. Other than that, it's Perfectly Safe." He extends a perfunctory hand, although the merchant hasn't said yea or nay.
Maggie frowns, "So, the ward is new but... The sealing magic is old? I think that is what I'm getting." She blinks as the red high-beams come on. The sweep of the light left and right, up and down, highlights a dizzying array of coral encrusted formations, fronds waving off yonder and fishies of varying stripes swishing by on their day-to-day activities, "Uh." Shaking her head a little, she queries, "Could it be that the wards are set up to... alert someone should Leviathon wake or the seal fail? I mean... fail completely?" She draws in a breath, then releases it before answering Ruby, "Well. Yes and no. The animals can see the Flare, but they won't be able to see your eyes looking through the periscope even if they peer into it. Or, if they could, they'd probably be super scared. Though we'd have to ask Kerf if your eyes would look super-huge or super-tiny. I'm never sure about that."
Quinlan sniffsniffs. "Maybe?" he hazards. "Not Karm, not Pathian." Sniiiiffff. "Shadow...not sure what flavor. Rare for a Shadow mage to be this powerful. I really look forward to meeting them." Sniffsniffsniff. "And y'know? I kind of suspect we will. When people set wards designed to let them *know* when they're tripped, the place is under surveillance. Yes?" The fox turns to look at Maggie. "Reminds me of some bad juju a very unfriendly cousin on my father's side got up to."
The image of Mercier sighs, "Dark water would be... the black road right? I suppose I'd best come, just for the experience." He intones, as if he was noting that he'd suppose he'd /have/ to do some menial task, before grasping his hand and moving through.
Mercier slipping through, grasping Merrisol's outstreched hand, everyone's favorite... well, a few peoples favorite.... well the merchant everone happens to know walks through, reaching up to rub his temple with the headache caused by the trumps disorientation, perking his ears, "Surviellence?" He glances back to Merrisol, "You didn't mention anything about being stuck solidly in someone's recoinnoter." He frowns slightly, and takes a glance out a porthole, "A powerful sorcerer... well I suppose I'll go stand in a corner then to stay out of everyone's way."
Maggie frowns and nods to Quinlan, "Yeah... on all counts. But, Shadow? Not Pattern? Is it typical to find one without the other?" Her tone softens a bit, "We have some relatives who fit the bill now that I'm thinking of it. I guess. So the seal isn't Karm magic? Or are we talking two different parts of this, Quin? Because I'm going to be confusing my nose if we're not careful." She can probably see Mercier as a watery reflection in the viewport's surface, "Hey, Templeton." The frown deepens though and she sidles the two-tailed red fox near her a glance, "Uh. Yeah... It does bring that wizard to mind."
"Seals seem to be Karm. Those ley-line 'ring for the spellcaster with added deathtrap' ley lines? Recent, powerful, shadow magic," clarifies Quinlan.
Ruby currently has her face pressed up to the periscope, hands on the controls. After some initial playing around, she's got the red-light beams going and is doing a more controlled sweep of the environment. It's too weird and awesome. And it doesn't even need to be fed quarters. Her mouth parts and her jaw goes a little askance while she spies on the deep denizens and the rocky formations that are home and buffet. She pauses, "Wizards an...Death-traps?" Her lips press back together and become thinner as they smush together tighter.
RPG: Merrisol declares that he has the Sea Captain (SKL-SC) gift. Use '+gift SKL-SC' to view the gift description. Last edit: 47 months ago.
RPG: Merrisol declares that he has the Three-Dimensional (SKL-TD) gift. Use '+gift SKL-TD' to view the gift description.
RPG: Merrisol declares that he has the Close Call (STY-CC) gift. Use '+gift STY-CC' to view the gift description.
RPG: Maggie declares that she has the Observation (SKL-OB) gift. Use '+gift SKL-OB' to view the gift description. Last edit: 60 months ago.
RPG: Mercier declares that he has the Danger Sense (SKL-DS) gift. Use '+gift SKL-DS' to view the gift description. Last edit: 84 months ago.
Merrisol releases Mercier as soon as he steps in, and moves to show Ruby the 'do not touch or we're all dead you hear me dead' switches on the periscope controls.. They all happen to be lacquered a wholesome candy red. Some of them are quite harmless, really. "These are best guesses and theories, Templeton," he notes over his shoulder, while he steps around to Ms. Cristholm's station and checks her speed as they drift toward a complex series of marked traps on the map. With a fine-tuned sense of the XYZ axial planes through which the sub must slip, her commander feeds a string of minute course and speed adjustments, which the navigator follows to the exact letter, her brow sweaty but her hands light and sure.
As the mages do their thing the Solar Flare manages to artfully maneuver through the traps...slowly towards its final destination. To the naked eye, there is nothing amiss and the see is just as dark as it was before. Occasionally a mammoth beastie swims past the viewport and veers off in surprise. This place doesn't seem to be a place one would normally venture too what with Leviathan down below and a host of other critters that like to skitter about in the caves and play in the dark water. The sentinel mounds loom as the only pieces of the huge gaping trench that don't look like an alien underwater world even to those who normally live underwater. Fish with teeth, translucent eels, spiny snakes.
When they get closer to the mound at the far end it is clear now that there's a crack in the mound and the mound itself is actually touching one of those caves. Keen eyed people will see that there's some sort of substance leaking out of the crack. A gooey black substance.
That is if light gets shone that way.
The black water seems to be drawn to this substance.
The red spectrum beams do zero in on the mound and strafe mostly harmless illumination along its cracked surface. Ruby is being a helpful headlight handler, following the fracture and the good trail towards the access point to the substrata tunnels like a bloodhound, and calling excitedly in her nonsense accent for everyone to looook if they aren't already looking.
Maggie sniffs and sniffs and sniffs, her concentration unbroken even with the addition of the Merchant of Menace. With her sniffing and Quinlan's sniffing, it would be reasonable to assume that the Solar Flare has need of a quantity of tissues. But, then again... no. This is the sort of sniffing that allows for inner senses to carefully filter input. Like seeking through myriad scents for an illusive trail. With the addition of the lights, the trail is suddenly readily (red-ily?) apparent. Maggie stiftens on seeing the crack extending down the mound, then exhales as the tar-y substance is seen. The Black Water swirling around the stuff is noted and she clears her throat, "Well. Stellar. How are we going to fix that? Can we repair the mound? Get a Karm to reseal it? Without setting off the magical alarms?"
OOC> Martin says, "Ryika knows that there are contacting mirrors in the 8 mounds and a big mirror in under the main mound. She's not sure yet what the big mirror does."
Quinlan headbutts Maggie's arm. "Nice sniffing. You're definitely improving." More seriously, the fox eyes the mound and the crack. "...Might be a case of locking the coop after the chicken's been eaten," he notes.
Merrisol has a quick word with Miriam before the Tir Princess retires to a quieter area to attempt a dream trance and a peek around the the vicinity looking for dreamers and their dreams. Meijanri will watch over her if she is still lurking about the ship.
As they get closer, there is a sound. Sound doesn't travel very far in water, but the Solar Flare's sensors pick it up and anyone with heightened senses would get it. The mound shakes slightly but the crack doesn't worsen. The sound comes after the shake and from 'within' the mound. One can hear a slithering sound, like scales scraping against a blackboard... or a mirror, it goes on for a few minutes then it stops and there is a low plaintive moan, then silence.
"That.... might alter the sums plus or minus several perils." Mercier notes, turning his head at the sound and moving towards one of the view ports, taking a glance back at the map, at the various spots on it, "So... a prison then." He muses to himself, "A possibly very old... prison. Whatever's in there has to be /perturbed/."
"...About six years old, I think," says Quinlan slowly. "Weirdly enough even the Karm magic smells fairly recent. Not as recent as the ley-line tripwires, but for Karm Seals? Recent."
Maggie grins down at the foxy-Quin and lifts a hand to scritch his head between the ears. Her hand does not actually land, however, as the sound comes right then. Brows lifting, she turns to look out the viewport. The thump is probably what caught her attention initially. The slither of scales on smooth something or other sends a shiver down her spine. The moan, however, kills any delight felt at the cousin-ly praise just given. Drawing in a breath, she sits ever so still, then whispers, "I... think it is in pain. I wonder if we can help it."
Merrisol's main focus at present is keeping the Solar Flare, and thereby its occupants, safe. He listens to the remarks from the others but can't take the time to comment while he keeps the sub steady in the treacherous currents by continually giving Cristholm new headings. But as that moan emanates through the external receiver link, he nods to Maggie and confirms, "Yes, it's pain." He inhales again to say something to her knee-jerk compassion reaction, but quiets again and considers the viewport for a long second. Then, back to course adjustments.
Mercier looks out of the porthole again at the leaking mound, "Sometimes pain is necessary." He says... "So what does this mean? Karm was here? Somehow underwater? Shouldn't they have let Rebma know? Or are we still in Rebma's waters?" He asks, curiously, trying to grasp the situation, before glancing around the submarine and realizing everyone was quite busy with other things.
Things are never so busy that a Rebman cannot point out, "Everywhere under Amber's waves is Rebma," whenever that pesky sovereignty question comes up.
The Solar Flare is attempting to hold its position close enough to the cracked mound holding some wounded sea monster of unknown species and temperament, to be within useful range to analyse the various magics laid upon the gargantuan wizard-wrought holding cell. There's the deteriorating Karm seal upon it, and a large mirror detected underneath it, purpose unknown. From the crack oozes a black goo that runs down into a cave situated in the trench wall further down. Black Water flickers around the sludge doing who knows what ghastly things to it. Meanwhile wards sensed to be newer additions to the area harbour magical surveillance and booby traps for non-organic, non-aquatic intruders.
It is these charted leylines that Merrisol is keeping an eye on when correcting the SF's drift and heading. He looks up from his painstaking work with Cristholm. "Unless anyone else has any ideas or perhaps a Karm contact up their sleeve, we're just waiting for Princess Miriam to make her attempt at finding the dreaming mind of this or any intelligent being within range.. In the case of the former, that groan makes me think the beast within is not sleeping soundly."
Miriam made herself comfortable in her guest room, and fell asleep quickly. You learn to do that, if you're a dream mage. Once sleeping, she lets her mind wander (hur hur), to try to find the interesting sleeping minds in the area. As usual, when out this way, she's in her native silvery dress.
Quinlan - sticking to his space-saving fox form - is peering out the window, sniffing the air thoughtfully. "I could get hold of Karm. But this'd take masters of the Seal, probably more than one. That'd take time even if I could yell in their ears. Tracing the trap magic to its source is probably a better immediate bet."
Merrisol thinks a moment and nods to the mage. "Yes, there'll be someone about who is party to these additions. I suppose if we report our observation to Duke Karm he will know enough about the original incident - if he himself was not the one to lay this Seal - to take the necessary steps for repairing it. So.." He glances back to the hatchway leading out to the main corridor of the sub. "Quinlan, are you able to hold the SF in place, right where she is now? I felt something from the creature.. its pain distress. I might be able to calm it, or at least persuade it to sleep long enough. Whether it dreams anything worth peering in on is another matter in itself."
Quinlan bobs his head. "Put the craft in neutral...however that works. And I can hold it right where it is with water magic."
Reluctantly, the sub crew shuts down the propulsion and helm on command, but the Solar Flare does not go floating, nor sinking, nor turning off course, to collide with one of those invisible lines of deadly trap magic. She stays unnaturally still in the deep waters, as though currents, gravity, and even drift generated from its own internal workings is no longer a consideration. Obviously it is Quinlan exerting his mastery of water magic; the fox mage had said he would.
Merrisol is freed from his work to focus on the source of that anguish both he and Maggie had sensed through whatever methods. He first looks at Maggie for a long moment, as though gathering inspiration.. or perhaps tapping her compassion for the critter whose role in the Seal scheme has not been determined. Is it a guardian watching over the Deeps, a trapped pawn, or a malevolent prisoner hoping to escape? Reaching out to it, without knowing that context... a bit of a challenge. He smiles to her though, then looks away to the viewport and closes his eyes while he projects feelings of comfort and assurance to the thing in the cracked mound. Well-being and relaxation, and a chance to escape from the pain into deep sleep.
Maggie meets Merrisol's gaze as he looks her way. She nibbles a bit on her lower lip while options, potentials and concerns glide like slippery baby eels demanding attention. Easing away from the port, she moves back to where Merrisol stands. One hand lifts to rest on his back to offer support if need be. His smile is returned though when he closes his eyes, the concern in her turns to worry. Sometimes, as Mercier has said, things are trapped for good reason.
It's quite some time later that Miriam returns to Ops to see who is there. She doesn't quite look well-rested, but then she wasn't resting. She does look more than a little concerned, and also more than a little puzzled.
The sub is still hanging out in the trap-infested waters above the abyss, facing the tall oozing mound, herself motionless as Quinlan continues to concentrate on the waters directly surrounding the vessel. Merrisol is leaning on an inner hull support beam and appears to be gingerly propping up his own brow with the fingertips of one hand, while he monitors the emotional content of the otherwise unknown quantity beyond the Seal, and works on keeping it drifting in a state of fitful slumber. Just long enough for Miriam to see what she can see, and report back to them. It appears to be getting harder going the longer it goes on, the receiving of bad things interfering with the sending of good things, but with Maggie's supportive presence, he keeps it up.
Martin is present on the bridge, lending his 'star-glamor' for the occasion to inspire folks, of course. He looks concerned at Miriam, "You alright?" He of course has been back and forth dealing with Regently matters. "I'm not sure how long we should stay here, we might start attracting notice." His main concern seems to be the black water greedily hovering around the mound.
Maggie watches Merrisol more than the rest of the deck though she does see Miriam enter. Murmering, she speaks softly, "I think that's long enough, Kerf. Miriam's back." So the dreaming should be finished, right? Looking over to Miriam, Maggie notes the other's expression and lifts a brow in silent query. Martin, gleaming stellarly near the viewport is offered a smile, though it remains tight. The concern that began grows as Merrisol seems to be having a harder time with whatever it is he is doing.
Miriam is quiet for a moment, as though trying to put together her thoughts. "I'm alright." she replies. "It... isn't anywhere near as sophisticated a mind as th'kelpie. And a different kind've dark. It's'n pain, and confused. It's mind's all about saving and killing and eating." She pauses, a little on the long side, then says "And there's a princess in't's mind. With long, green hair." She looks pretty sure that can't be good.
Ruby carefully enters the bridge with a guarded look. She follows the wall so as not to blunder into people or interdict any field of vision for the crew. Lurking and using something akin to stealth if such is possible. But it's a considerate kind of sidling rather than sinister. Like she arrived late to a Wake.
Merrisol swallows dryly and nods to Maggie's prompt after a moment, although he seems genuinely reluctant to stop comforting the creature at this point. Agony will surely wake it again if he does. When Miriam begins speaking, however, he draws back slowly and curls one arm around Maggie, anchoring to her. Finally, he turns from the viewport, and focuses on Miriam, looking fully cognizant of the pain and confusion she describes. When she describes a particular Princess, he swings his gaze round to Martin, frowning as a name leaps to mind, but what he says is, "Liyandra.." She doesn't have green hair, silly! "She can heal the poor beast, lessen its pain. And we need a Karm," he reiterates with a growl.
Martin nods at Merrisol, exhchanges the glance with Maggie and puts a comforting arm around Miriam's shoulder. "I know who you're thinking about Merrisol. I'll see if I can get in touch with her. She's elusive and her memory is a bit off because of her ordeal. What I mean, Maggie..." He explains to his cousin. "Is that this area is host to a number of things and we do kind of stick out to creatures with certain focus. We've been lucky not to gather that kind of attention so far. Yes, Liyandra would be good to have down here." He rubs his chin thoughtfully, "I've never heard of her being particularly creature-sensitive but she is of Oberon Blood and has some of the unique abilities Maggie and I have." He exhales. "I don't like the look of that ooze, could it be blood if it's in pain?"
Maggie slips her arm around Merrisol as he comes back to them. Spotting Ruby in her carefully considerate sidle, she nods a greeting but refocuses on Miriam, "That... sounds... pretty awful." Her attention shifts to Martin as he speaks. She nods about Llewella, then again, "Oh, I figured that was what you meant, Martin. Oh... no. Liyandra is not our cousin. No. She is Sukhoti. I think that's how you say it. But, she has shown a definite ability with animals, Martin. I agree with Kerf. She can heal it." Such faith in their friend. Licking her lips, she looks out at the pillar again, "I... do not know, but I suppose it could be. A Mandrake could tell us, but... Liya probably could too." Her hold on Merrisol tightens a little and she lowers her voice, "Would Liya have to heal it before the Karm seals it up again? I can trump her, if you like?"
Miriam smiles a bit to Martin, but still looks very uneasy. "Th'pain I sensed in't's mind could've been an actual injury, yes. It's also very afraid. It had a purpose. Th'people to save are th'people to kill. Killing's good. The princess will tell't what t'kill." Her tone says she's just repeating what she can remember of the dream. "It both must destroy th'light, and obey't."
Mercier slips on the operations center from a hatch, which is a challenge, certainly, in a submarine made of metal. But he does his best, slipping towards the wall Ruby's against and glancing out the window as he keeps an ear on the conversation, hmming and hawing here and there in a subtle sort of way, glancing out the window. He leans over to Ruby as the mention of some green haired princess, "Any idea who they're taking about?" He asks Ruby, in a low voice." He cocks his head as Miriam speaks, "Sounds like someone made a monster for their ends and then tossed it in a pit when it finished being useful, like any other exploited soldier."
Ruby pouts out her bottom lip as she tries to take stock. She turns her head to Mercier and slides her eyeballs to take him in. "Dunno. Moight be some femme I seen once. Luck 'ouse mebbe." Ruby frowns deeper and shakes her head as if to clear it. She hunkers there against the wall, unwilling to venture further. "Dunno, just know when 'ard choices bein picked'n flicked at." she murmers. "Strange stoof down 'ere. Smells of toight tendons."
Merrisol pauses over Martin seguing between thoughts about Liyandra and the Princess, but seems to sort it out properly for himself. To Maggie's offer to use a trump to get hold of their beast-mistress ally, he nods, and squeezes her for emphasis. "Please, Maggie, if you can." Mission of mercy! Merri, who was so leery of the imprisoned critter at first, is now totally willing to drag another friend from her Amber duties to see to said critter's ouchies. He listens a moment to Miriam's putting the chaotic confusion he'd felt into words.. not that the words grant a great deal of enlightenment to start. "Uh.. I couldn't say what species of creature is in there, even based on everything we know so far... only that it is about as large in volume as the Solar Flare herself. That ichor could be blood, it could be bodily waste secretion," he shrugs. "Whatever it is, the Black Water is attracted to it.. and it does resemble the metal-eating slime in the Forge," he nods to Ruby, gaze flicking between her and Mercier as he notices the merchant beside her. "That cavern must contain tunnels which flow all the way out to the island."
It is part of Merrisol's charm. Maggie smiles at Merrisol, though her smile fades as she hears Miriam's words. Lifting a bit to deliver a gentle kiss to Merrisol's cheek, she releases him and backs up a little, "Let me see if I can reach her." Lifting her card pouch from her belt, she half listens to the conversation and half sorts through the cards, "Uh. The Karm person will have to be told that. Maybe they can be sealed too?" Then she finds the Liyandra card and turns away from one set of friends and allies to concentrate on reaching another.
Martin frowns slightly at some sort of thought but does not voice it. He gently rubs Miriam's shoulder offering her comfort. "We also need to contact the Karm and get them down here but I agree we need to heal the creature before trapping it again. Someone may indeed be responsible for creating or finding the creature but I have no idea why they would want to trap it. Could have just taken it out to shadow or something if it was dangerous." He shrugs a little. "I wonder if there is anyway to move it to somewhere it can live."
All the talk of just retrapping the creature makes Miriam look even more uneasy, though Martin's notion if finding it somewhere it can live certainly gets her attention. And makes her less uneasy. "If't's too dangerous t'leave free, it'll have t'be bound again. But... yes. It'd be good t'make sure first that't has t'be. Give't a chance for a life, if't can be saved." Given the state of Tir, it might be understandable that things being sealed away makes her uncomfortable.
Maggie is standing in the Ops room of what has to be the Solar Flare. She smiles a tight smile as the contact is established but rather than speak directly to the woman on the other end, she answers something said on the other side, "That is my hope, Martin." Then, "Hello, Liya. We have a bit of a problem here and are hoping that you can help. It's complicated but..." She nods, though to what is not relayed, "Aye, Miriam. That is also my hope." Then back again, "We have been tracking an infestation of Black Water in Rebma. It led us to a... Well, a trap. The Seal is breaking and whatever is trapped within is in pain. We were hoping that you could help heal it... We think that the healing has to happen prior to having a Karm reseal the trap. Uh. We're also hoping that someone can take the thing trapped within to a Shadow where it can live in freedom. Since none of us are terribly keen on imprisoning something needlessly. Now that I've probably scared you away... Are you willing to come and let us know if it can be helped?" With that, she smiles a winning, if strained smile and extends a hand. Since she is already standing in an open-ish spot, there is room for another to step in.
Ruby continues to lean against the metal wall, palms lowering and pressing back against it like her back. Listening and watching, she lets the situation flow over and around her, absorbing what she can in the process.
Merrisol steps back from Maggie when she extricates herself from his arm. He casts a thoughtful glance to the viewport and the mound beyond, as if tempted to check in again. Stop bonding with the thing that wants to kill the people it saves and vice versa! With a sharp headshake, he strides back over to the crew stations to prep them for a hasty retreat should any of the right sort of trench creatures start giving them the wrong sort of attention.
"Theres signifigant chance it can't be saved, you know." Mercier notes, looking out the view port towards the domes, "That none of them can be saved. If thats... related to the black road and chaos... it might have been mad before, it might just be mad now. The most merciful and pragmatic thing might be.... removing it from the calculus." Mercier continues to muse, mostly to himself. "If it needs to be imprisoned forever... well."
Maggie nods as she speaks into the trump connection, "Better leave Mayhem there, Liya. Though it would be wonderful to see him. Soon! Soon. Thank you for being willing to try. We... do not know what species the thing is. But, come through? And let us know what you think?" She lifts her hand to steady her friend through. "Welcome back to the Flare, Liya." Turning, she motions to the others, "I think you know everyone?" Her gaze flickers to Merrisol as he becomes engrossed in explaining certain things about quick escapes to his crew. Mr. Moore and Ms. Cristholm are at their stations and they occasionally hear from another crew member down in engineering. The voice is a bit tinny, certainly female. Ruby and Mercier stand against the wall off to one side and Martin can be seen leading Miriam back out of Ops going that-a-way.
Liya's sparkly departure no doubt leaves a big cat meowing piteously. You all owe Mayhem one. Still, Liya comes through with a smile. "No problem, though I do need to go back in reasonable time. Mayhem is pretty good at taking care of things but he draws the line at feeding the dogs for some reason." She smiles though as she looks around, giving a nod to Ruby and Mercier. A small wave to Martin and Miriam, as they are departing. And a grin at Merrisol. "I think I do know most everyone, yes, thanks," she says. And now she gets the chance to start absorbing the situation.
Maggie smiles a little guiltily, a bit ruefully, "I'll... bring Mayhem a nice gift. Maybe a big fish all for himself? Though... I don't think I'll get anything locally." She winces just a little, then pauses for a moment while Liya glances around. "We... are not sure what the creature is. I think I mentioned that?" Her gaze slips past the others to the viewport, "But, even so, it does not deserve to be in pain, possibly wounded and locked away. I... I have to believe that something just went wrong and whomever did not know whom to call on for help. As... it is fairly clear that the creature was locked away on purpose." Quinlan is somewhere in itty bitty fox mode. He is working with water magic to hold the Flare steady and a map of the area is off to one side. An illusory map, drawn by Quin's power. "Uh. We're hoping that we don't have to go out there."
Liya's nature senses will take some time to acclimatize. She nods her head, as she glances about, curiously. The map draws her attention and she looks at that first. "I can't heal anything without touching it, I don't think. Well, I've never tried." Pause. And then Liya shrugs. "Guess we will find out? How does the map work - I mean, what is everything on there, different colours?" And then she looks out, and she shudders. "Oh, we're very deep under. Lava storm."
Frowning at something, Maggie looks out the viewport again, "I'm... not at all sure that we can get close enough for you to touch it, Liya. There is something leaking out of the cracked pillar thing and the Black Water in the area thinks it is sweeter than honey. So, it is clustered there." Sort of grossly, if you ask her. "But, uh... Yeah, we'll get as close as we ca..." Her head snaps to Liyandra, "Lava storm? Do we need to get out of here right now?"
That gets a blink and then a shake of Liya's head. "Oh, no. Sorry. no, there's no lava storm here. And hopefully never will be. It's just - like out of the frying pan into the fire, maybe?" She looks rueful, shrugging lightly. "I didn't mean to imply there was such a thing. Has Kerf tried talking to whatever is trapped? What does he say?"
Maggie nods slowly, "Oh! Oh. Okay. You scared me." Smiling a bit, she tries to shuffle that off to the side. Her gaze sobers away from the smile and her eyes flicker to Merrisol, then drift after Miriam. "Uh. Yes. Both Kerf and Miriam tried. Kerf kept it soothed past the pain to let it sleep. Miriam listened in on the thing's dreams. Um. It has a Princess with green hair in its thoughts. It might have come here with her or in her company. It... is afraid of the light, but is compelled to follow it. It... Oh, help. Let me think. Oh, right. It is to help 'the people' and kill them." She sounds most upset by that last, "Templeton suggested that someone made a monster then shoved it here in this trap and sealed it away when it was no longer useful. I... really hope that he is wrong, but it does look that way."
The Solar Flare is unnaturally motionless in the water, with only the external runningl lights, bioluminescent flashes from marine life, and the red spectrum eyebeams of the sea-horse periscope, providing a range of visibility. Reading the illusory map shows the vessel to be in the midst of a series of triplines whose rough locations are only made visible due to reports from the magic-sniffers on the team. Great lengths have been undertaken to avoid touching these lines, even though the large marine denizens apparently swim around with impunity; getting the ship back out unscathed will take some skilled route-plotting.. or well, Quinlan manipulating the waters around the vessel like a toy duck in a bathtub.
Merrisol returns from discussing these options with his helmslady, and approaches Liyandra and Maggie. He looks uncharacteristically worn out and on edge.. if such states can exist at the same time. "Liyandra, thank you for coming here." He smiles at her and stands beside Maggie, facing the viewport. "Do you have a grasp of the situation? We are over the Soldieve Deeps, wherein Leviathan is believed to be sleeping." Ah, a slumbering behemoth whose digs they are fiddling with while trying not to wake it. Sound familiar somehow?
"The Karm Seal on this structure," he gestures ahead to the massive mound of rock near the edge of the gaping deep dark trench, the red eyebeams trained in that direction brightly enough to discern the details. On the map illusion, there are eight other mounds of stone jutting up from the sea bed, though looking at them as a whole, they seem to be directing the eye towards this particular one. "The Seal is deteriorating, although until Duke Karm gets back to Martin with skilled agents, we don't know what the Seal's purpose was, whether it's related to keeping Leviathan down, or just to keep prisoner the creature we've sensed within the structure. According to Quinlan and Maggie, these structures and the Seal were erected /after/ Leviathan was put down. It is also not certain whether the Seal was weakened by the shock to the Rebma Pattern when Prince Benedict.." he has softened his tone for Liya's sake here, ".. but note the crack in the mound.. the thick black fluid you see coming out." Crossreferencing with Quin's map of magic effects: "The Black Water is all over it, likely tainting it. And it's trickled down into that cave below. It is likely the cave is part of a substrate system of caves that runs beneath the known realm, which would explain the discovery of chaos-tainted organic matter in the island forge a hundred miles away."
Merri goes closer to the viewport with a beckoning gesture to Liyandra. "The critter inside must be at least as large as the Solar Flare.. larger if it has been crammed into that structure.. probably was, since the damage to the stone appears to have damaged the creature. That fluid might be its blood. It isn't a vocal sort, but I did hear something a while back. It complains of pain," he obviouses. "The rest of it is a jumble of confusion, craven hunger, and dark, murderous sentiment.. and what you've heard from Maggie about what Miriam saw in its dreams." He leans against the viewport with one arm out, and looks back at Liya. "What do you think.. if you need more, you could feel it out for yourself. You might get more than I did, frankly." As far as he's concerned.. Liyandra is the Guru!
Liya smiles at Kerf as he arrives, taking in the look of him. "You know, I was enjoying the beach you made me when Maggie trumped me," she says softly. Just that, and then she listens, looking where directed. That done, she moves to look out the viewport at the imprisoned critter, using all her senses. Life sense. Nature sense. Sense of natural balance. Danger Sense. Keen senses. She's nearly as bad as Quinlan, isn't she? Just missing that magic sense to round out the party. With the black water here, Liya's feeling perhaps a bit sick to her stomach. But she reaches out empathicly towards the creature, with a soothing gentle emotion of safety. Rest. Relax.
Pemitted to Liyandra: It is clear the beast has been cajoled and soothed into a torpor recently, enough apparently so that it had slept and dreamed for a time. The pain is still there, however, some great bleeding wound that opened even while protected by its hardened carapace. Awake once more, it is squirming in unhappy discomfort as only a stupid sea-dwelling giant centipede can. In addition to the tangled directives to kill and preserve and feast, its tiny mind is imprinted with contractigory obsessive compulsions, apparently about this green-haired lady, given the dream context. Perhaps is has gone mad from the pain, or from its cramped prison, or from the Black Water, or all three...
Pemitted to Liyandra: After a short session of empathic coddling, the beast slips back into a twitching stupor.
Merrisol stays where he is, not attempting to join Liyandra in sense-scanning the fissure, but observing the woman obliquely and giving her the time and quiet in which to perform her talents.
Liya starts to try to suss out whether any of the impulses are natural, or perhaps more, whether any are obviously unnatural - tainted by black water crazy. As she stands there staring, one hand raises towards the viewport, but she doesn't touch it. "You know, I helped the Kelpie eggs, but I could touch them," she murmurs, softly. "I have never tried to do such a thing from - afar." She frowns, as she feels that pain. "Poor thing," she murmurs. "Not your fault you are a beast, after all, is it?" The words are spoken aloud, for Merrisol and company, but beneath, she does send images to the beast with the practiced ease of someone who knows this is not as sure as words, but that it works often better than words with those critters who are not so bright.
Seeing Merrisol's condition when he returns from speaking with the helmswoman. A flash of guilt touches her eyes, though she lowers them quickly away. Remaining where she is for a moment while Merrisol and Liyandra move closer to the viewport, she steadies her expression more than her gut before moving to follow them. Standing farther from the port, she sort of unintentionally blocks their retreat. While Merrisol watches Liyandra, Maggie peers around them to watch the fissure in the stone structure. Her arms rise to cross in front of her, concern redoubled though the cause has grown not to multiple rather than singular.
Merrisol considers the dilemma of having no physical contact with the entombed creature, nor any clear way of making contact... "...short of flushing away the Black Water and drilling a hole through the stone.." he ponders to himself.. unfortunately doing it aloud and sounding bonkers. Drill.. through the Karm-Sealed boulder, to access the ravening, enslaved beastie, by sticking Liyandra's arm through.
Liya's gaze goes from the window over to Merrisol, at his words, a crooked smile showing on her face. "It's sleeping," she says softly. "And even I can tell that's a bad idea, Kerf. I think - I might have to see if it works without touching the critter. Expand my horizons a bit." Because why not? She shakes her head though, feeling the gnawing in the pit of her stomach. Wait, that might just be the chaos and out of balance bit truthfully. She turns back to look at the prison. "Do we know who that green haired princess was? Is?"
Maggie blinks and turns a quick, sharper than usual glance to Merrisol. Seeing that he is musing rather than planning, she blinks and looks back at the mound. "I think that from a distance is our best option," she agrees with Liyandra. Pursing her lips slightly, she clears her throat a bit, "Uh. I think that we have suspicians, Liya. My aunt sort of fits the bill, though Martin will have a better idea if she could do such a thing as this." Yeah, her family? Sucks sometimes. And are wonderful at others. "I don't remember meeting this aunt, but she was important to Martin growing up, so maybe. Just... doesn't remember."
Merrisol abandons the idea readily, and looks slowly between Maggie and Liyandra a couple of passes while they discuss the Rebman Princess. "She expressed a desire to come aboard the SF recently.." he frowns, taking a moment to rack his brains for a timeframe. "I think we were still on our way toward the Deeps at the time.. Perhaps she already knew what we would find here." He seems to lose interest in that thought, turning instead to his Sukhoti friend. "Alright - so, no touch contact. And we don't even have a visual of it, Liyandra. But I worked with Morbidly McCrisis there for... erm, I'm not sure how long." Miriam had been out for a while, though. "Perhaps too long. I'm sure you are more experienced with animal suffering and mental anguish, however.. I wonder if you can work the physical aspect of healing in by tapping its emotional well-being?"
"Morbidly McCri- who?" Liya asks first, not understanding that phrase much. "The beast?" Well, she's trying to put two and two together, certainly. She taps her fingers against her arm, glancing over at Maggie, and nodding at the aunt thing. "You do have interesting relatives, Maggie." She looks back towards the beast, and then she nods to Kerf. "I will have to try." She doesn't sound entirely sure this will work, but there's definitely determination in her voice.
Maggie flashes Merrisol a smile for the name, murmering, "Mor for short?" Sobering again, she looks to Liyandra, "Um. I don't really know how your magic works, Liya, but if you can draw strength from me, please do. We don't know anything about the beastie in there, and it might take a lot of energy to do what you do." She offers her friend her hand, should it be required or wished. The other sneaks over to touch Merrisol's arm gently. Maybe that is for her benefit as much as to offer a physical sort of support, "Yeah, I do, Liya. On a lot of counts."
Merri nods as Liyandra looks undaunted and willing to tackle the mending of an unseen wound on an unseen critter. Maggie's touch gets an appreciative smile. "I've heard it's possible to draw on the energy of others to power a spell - and there were those times Lady Sullivan shared out the Kelpie's and Koi's suffering to willing hosts.." he muses. "I'm not sure this is the same sort of magic, but I know you were there when I was wading through the frenzied need of the poor beast, Maggie, almost overwhelmed. It helped to know. Made all the difference." He looks over at Quinlan to check with the fox mage's control over the ship's position. Nothing new is being added to the illusory map so that can take a backseat if need be. "Anything new on the lowest horizon, Moore?" he calls over to the man on the communications station. "Keep Quinlan informed, if you please." He turns back to offer to Liyandra. "Let me assist as well, if that would augment and not interfere with your work."
Liya takes a deep breath, and then she frowns, as she listens. Borrow - from - there's a look of near panic on her face at that, her magic far from Pathi, and so natural as to mean she has no idea how it works, it just does. But she wraps her fingers in Maggie's as the hand is offered, very glad of the moral support. Moral support could be everything. "I think I want to sit," she says. Not going to make a difference, other than to comfort. "I have a feeling this might take a while. Shall I try now?" Not daunted no, but definitely there's a thought that this is far from easy, followed by the 'how do I get myself into these things?' that might show only briefly on her face. "And is there tea?"
Maggie lets her fingers twine with Liyandra's, squeezing lightly. Looking up at Merrisol, her eyes wide with the knowledge, though she can't know for sure what he went through... just that her touch seemed to help. She smiles at him with that confirmation. Looking over her shoulder, she nods toward one of the stools near a station, "Will that work? Or shall we go down to the commons? There are couches there with comfortable pillows." Since comfort is wanted. "I'm okay with now, Liya. Oh. Tea. Uh. I can get some and meet you there, if you wish."
Merrisol gestures down to the broad steps which comprise the sunken space by the front of the vessel, allowing enough bulkhead to fit the huge viewport lens. "Or here. You can have a direct line of sight with the structure if it helps. Cushions can be brought from the saloon if you wish, as well. And tea," he smiles wanly.
"I want to - yes," Liya says with a nod to Merrisol. "I want to see as much as I can - because it feels right." She simply moves over there and sits on the floor, for the moment. Hopefully Quinlan is keeping an eye, and the rest of the magic folks though it might be that Liya's Sukhoti magic might not trigger something anti Pathi? She smiles at the two, and says, "Cushions would be good, and tea. And company." Her attention goes to the viewport, and then she moves so she is right there, inches away from it. Inches. And she stares out, concentrating on the sleepy torporific stupor of Morecrisis the whosiwhatsit.
Maggie moves with Liya to sit on the floor. She keeps the other woman's hand in hers, remaining close enough to be a comforting and comfortable presence. "Oh. Right." Looking just a bit sheepish, she rises again, "I'll be right back with pillows and tea, then. I... can't really help much with the magic, so... I'll be back shortly." Turning, she smiles encouragingly for both Liya and Merri, then ducks out the hatch. No time passes before she tucks her head back in, "Kerf? Want anything? Anyone else?"
Miriam finally returns to Ops, and peeks in to see who is around. She looks much more rested than the last time. Those there get a smile from her. "Hello. Did I miss much?" she asks.
"No thank you, Maggie. I have a water thermos around here somewhere," Merrisol replies. He spends a few moments at the sonar station with Moore to determine the nature of a large mass lumbering across the chasm, two hundred feet below their position. A lightshow of bioelectric pulses show up through the viewport as the briefest flashbulb effects upon the craggy geography of the pit, as the thing encounters a rival and battle ensues. Waiting and monitoring the situation pays off, when one takes flight and the other gives chase, away from the sub's position.
Merrisol claps Mr. Moore on the shoulder and walks back around to the steps, intending to sit beside Liya while Maggie is off gathering. "Hullo Princess," he nods to Miriam when she looks in, still looking fatigued and red-rimmed around the eyes, himself. "We have Liyandra here with us now, to try and heal the creature. After that, we may have to depart the area until House Karm gets in contact. Has Martin been able to get in contact with his Aunt, yet?"
Liya smiles at Maggie, as she volunteers to go get tea and cushions. "Thank you, Maggie. You are very helpful and kind, my friend." Miriam's arrival gets a smile from the young Sukhoti. "Your Highness, it is good to see you once more. I hear you have been learning of our friend here in its dreams?" She settles where she is, only briefly wishing she had Mayhem to lean against. And her gaze goes to to the lumbering critters fussing over territory or some such, tracing the life force as they leave.
Oh, sparkles! Maggie smiles at Liya, but is distracted by the shimmers given off by the creatures as they fuss at each other. Her tone is a hair distracted when she offers, "Okay, love. Good." After a moment of that, she inhales, darts another smile at her friends and slips past the princess in the doorway, (which really should be a children's story). "I'll bring you tea, Miriam." Ducking down the hall then, she vanishes from sight.
Miriam tilts her head a bit as she studies Merrisol for a moment. "Are you alright? Are y'sleeping enough?" She looks pretty sure he isn't. To his question though, she says "I don't know. He's been back'n th'city taking care've things there." She moves her attention to Liya then, and smiles. "I did find't in Dream, yes. It was... disturbing." SHe then says to Maggie "Thank you! And then you should take your husband t'bed." she calls after the redhead as she hurries off.
"I'll sleep when we are away from here," Merri promises, ferreting out the thermos from a cubby meant for holding extra small glass bulbs for the incomprehensible switchboards around Moore's station. "In the dream.. did you see any particular sort of people aside from the green-haired lady.. perhaps.. any critters that might represent our strange acquaintance within?" he asks Miriam with a quick wag of his finger towards the viewport. He does sit down beside Liyandra then, close enough that his arm presses into her shoulder a bit... and he pats her knee, there there ol' chum. Okay, so he's no Maggie, nor Mayhem for that matter!
Liya grins at Maggie in super efficient mode. Her gaze goes to Miriam, and she tilts her head a bit, thoughtful. "Disturbing? How so?" With the tussling critters moving on, Liya's attention goes to the trapped crittor, with the stuff oozing out of the hole, the black water so wrong all about, and she looks carefully with life sense, distinguishing between the life forms and those that are just there, rock solid, but not alive. Her view might be a bit different from the rest of the folks. "Oh. Actually, something to write with and paper? Since I can't do like Quinlan?"
Merrisol gets back up, not wanting to take any crew away from their stations to run fetch quests. "I'll get the paper, pencils, and lapdesk," he says, heading out.
Stepping back into the area, Maggie carries a tray with tea for those that want it, including Ms. Cristholm and Mr. Moore, should they wish. It is placed close at hand and she passes out mugs to Miriam and Liya first. Looking at Miriam, she offers a smile that is partially rueful and only slightly secretive, "Oh. I will. Later." Not going to argue with the husband about sleep. She would lose. Moving to Liya and Merrisol, she studies the two, then sidesteps to let Merrisol exit before sitting next to Liya, "I could probably sit with my back to yours, if you want. To give you a leaning spot."
Miriam wags her finger at Merrisol, chiding him a little for that whole lack of sleep thing. She's more focused on Liya's question, though. "His dreams were full've darkness, death, confusion. Corruption. It wants t'destroy th'light. It's hungry'n scared. It wants t'both save and kill things. To feed on things. Like I said, very confusing. There was a vague image of th'princess it hates but has to obey." She smiles again to Maggie, and nods a thanks for the tea.
Liya listens to Miriam, and then she nods. "That sort of makes sense, with the emotions we're reading from it. I can see how it would be - confused." She takes her tea cup, and has a fortifying drink of tea, and then she grins at Maggie. "You can sit wherever you like. It's good." She gets the lap desk, paper and pencil, and she starts to draw the life forces that she sees, hoping that Quinlan will be able to add them to his 3d map. That's the first bit, anyway, her eyes gleaming blue with that sparkle so often seen in Mandrakes.
Maggie nods to Miriam, "Oh, you are welcome." She half smiles at the finger wagging, though she does not do more than sneak a smile toward Merrisol as Miriam chides him. "He'll be okay, Miriam. Promise." Sinking to sit next to Liyandra, she leans gently against her friend. It is only enough that the other will know that she is there. The touch won't impede her movement at all. Sipping her own tea, she angles to look at Liya's drawing, then up to the viewport. Listening, she nods, "Poor creature. I... Wonder if we could take it home. Or even if it has a home. Maybe being somewhere familiar it would stop feeling confused and murderous." Which persumes that merderous is not it's native state.
Miriam thinks more, then says "I have no idea where something like that'd live. It's... the thing just looks so odd. If what'd likes like in Dream's accurate, it's... kind've a cross between a great sea snake and a centipede. Lots and lots've little arms and legs. And it's scaly."
Liya is sensing only the one life force, which is perhaps good, but what she draws, ever so slowly, begins to fill in. Curves, lots of curves, but that's because it's got a long snakelike body. And lots of legs, all over the place. Centisnake? Maybe. She pauses, looking at what she's drawn so far, and then nods at Miriam. "I think it's pretty close. Though I can't tell about the scales." She shows her image, based on life force, and then she says, "it is weak though, and bleeding." She can even identify where the wound is. Her tea cup is empty by now, but she says, "The wound in the creature seems to match to the crack in the mound we can see. Where that stuff is bubbling out."
Maggie turns her attention to Miriam as she speaks. Her eyes widen a touch at the description and she looks down at the drawing Liyandra is making. Shaking her head, she frowns, "I've... I don't think I've ever seen anything like that. I can't even imagine where 'home' might be. Maybe someplace with... I don't know. Undersea forests?" She looks up toward the viewport and shakes her head, "Poor thing." Then, "So... the wound corresponds with the entire fissure? Or just that lower part where it's bleeding?"
Miriam nods to the creature being wounded. "It's side. It has pain'n its side." she replies, which Liya obviously already knows. "And hopefully th'princess with th'long green hair knows where't came from. So it can go home, if possible." She sips her tea.
Liya looks back to the fissure, and she says, "The wound corresponds with the entire fissure. It looks like it took a long time to inflict that wound, it's not something that happened quickly - the creature has protection, likely hard scales. And if I had to guess, I'd say that it started back a while ago. When His Highness - was on the Rebman pattern." There's a solidness there, enduring. "It's been in pain for a while." Not that they hadn't already figured most of this out, but it's confirmation. Of sorts. "Alright, I can try to help it heal, but I don't know how fast that will be. Or slow. Or if it will even work."
Maggie draws in a slow breath, "Okay. Thank you. I just... was wondering if the containing walls of the mound were in some way part of it. But, I suppose that if it is crammed in there, then... damage to the cage could damage the beast. Poor thing." She nods to Miriam, "That would be good. If she will tell us. We'll have to ask Martin to ask her, I suppose." Nodding to Liya, then, she sits up, but reaches over to rest a supportive hand on the other woman's shoulder. Energy and what magic she can offer is there to be used. "Okay. Ready when you are."
Miriam listens, but apparently doesn't have anything to add to all of that yet. "If y'want me t'go back into its dreams at some point, I'm happy to." she says, then drinks more of her tea.
Liya nods to Miriam, hearing her. "Not just yet, no," she says. "Though well - Maybe? I want to see if I can heal it, and then after it might be good to try to talk to it again." She sits crosslegged, one hand touching Maggie's arm briefly, in thanks for her friend's support. Liya then stares out the viewport, and she concentrates as much as she can. Probably those with magic sense can sense the life magic swirling about her, her hands both rising as though to touch something - even though she can't through the walls and viewport of the solar flare touch the critter in its prison. She concentrates for a very long time, staring, not moving, hands outstretched.
Merrisol observes from navigation, where he is working up a series of headings for departing the magically booby-trapped region.
The efforts of care magics work their way through the murky deep to soothe and settle the trapped beast but true total healing is beyond the barrier of distance. Still, there's less twisting and the creature is calmer. With Merrisol's and Liyandra's help the pain is bearable.
Maggie nibbles her lower lip a bit in concentration as Liya begins the magical healing attempt. Leaning forward a hair, she begins to sniff as magic rises. It is an interesting magic, filled with green growing things and good, rich earth. The Mandrake healing bits are... Not Mandrake, but healing just the same. She sniffs a bit more to isolate them... purple? Yes. But not the sparkling purple she associates with another healer she knows. These are softer, the purple of lavender, maybe. Which makes her wonder what purple actually smells like. Which brings her around to the fact that while Liyandra is trying to heal the beastie, Maggie is... sniffing at her. She stops with a blush and a faintly appologetic glance.
Miriam watches quietly while Liya did her thing, her magic sense making her likewise interested in what was being done. That sniffing Maggie does causes her to grin a bit, her expression saying she entirely understands both what she's doing and why it's a little embarrassing to be noticed doing it.
Liya takes quite a while, and it takes a lot out of her, so that when she finally stops, she looks a bit tired. Or more than a bit. She frowns as she looks out there. "It's - a bit better," she says, softly. "But it's too far. I think I need to touch it like I did the kelpie eggs. Or at least to get closer. Can we get any closer?" She leans more against Maggie, stifling a yawn.
"As close as we can get without getting out and swimming," says Merrisol, in a manner that speaks of his being utterly astonished if someone should say maybe they ought.
Maggie darts an embarassed smile to Miriam. Caught! Oh well. At least the audience is a sympathetic one. As Liya comes out of it, Maggie supports her friend, easing an arm about her shoulders. Looking up at Merrisol, she blinks at Liya's request and then nods. Closer, then. "I don't think we should get out and swim, though. Not with the black water out there swirling about the fissure." Though, darn it, there it is. She looks out the viewport and darn it if her expression does not clearly indicate that she is trying to think of a way to make it possible to do just that.
Miriam thinks about that. "Is the only danger t'getting closer the creature itself, or is't th'corruption in th'water? Isn't there anyone that can use water magic t'move th'black water long enough? Maybe I could help't stay lulled t'sleep so't can't attack her?" She really just seems to be thinking aloud.
Liya curls up, obviously tired, and she nods. "No swimming with the corrupted water, Kerf, not even with kisses." Though she does arch a brow at Miriam's thought. "Might work. I'm willing to try if you are." Course that might well be after a nap, by the look of things.
Merrisol places both hands on the edge of the nav station beside Cristholm and leans while he regards the women. "Those are two dangers, Princess," he agrees with a sigh. "The creature and the chaos infestation. Plus, we are already deep enough to feel some discomfort from the pressure, even with kisses, and this great trench we hang over goes yet deeper by an unexplored factor, since it is home to countless predators, many infected, and at the very bottom slumbers Leviathan." He angles one of his hands to point out the illusory map o' magics, adding, "And if Maggie and Quinlan's analysis of the traps is accurate, non-Rebmans can set them off, not just non-organic vessels." Well.. yes.. But other than that..! He subsides, studying Liyandra. "I'll check with Martin... if he can summon the Princess here, and she /is/ something to do with all this, I would say she is our best bet for seeing the creature out of this prison, for healing or anything else."
Liya nods, slowly, eyes heavy lidded. "Okay, Kerf. I'm sorry, I think that took a lot out of me. I have to go back to look after Mayhem. Can't leave them too long." Her words are fading out though, until she's sound asleep on Maggie's shoulder, the attempt to use her life magic in such a different fashion taking a lot out of her.
Miriam nods to Merrisol, then finishes her tea. "Well, let me know'f there's anything else I can do, of course." she says to Merrisol. "I'm happy t'help."
Maggie listens to Miriam, then to Merrisol. Her gaze lingering on his face while he speaks. Her own reply is cut off as Liyandra speaks and drifts off to sleep against her. Concern returns to her eyes and she shifts gently. Setting her empty mug down next to Liya's, Maggie carefully slips an arm beneath Liya's knees while the other glides beneath the sleeping beauty's arms. Lifting her friend seems easy enough and Maggie gentles her against her shoulder. Speaking softly, she looks over to the others, "I'll just take her somewhere quiet to sleep. Kerf... Do you want to grab a nap? I can watch up here." Though she can't do the math thing that lets him navigate beneath the waves. "I'll be back." Turning, she eases Liya past the open hatch and out.
Merrisol watches sleep overtake Liyandra with some initial concern, before chagrin and wistful acceptance take over. He starts around the console but Maggie has things, and Liyandra, in hand...s. He nods to Miriam slowly, coming to a decision. "There's nothing to be done at this point but to pull back to a safe position, and come back when there is more we can do."
