[open] Look for the bare necessities~

[oathkeeper]

Who: OPEN OPEN OPEN
What: People teaming up to check out a giant abandoned temple and look for hidden treasure, clues or just want to get into some trouble
Where: An abandoned temple ruin in the heavens
When: June 13
Warnings: TBA
Note: This is a create-a-top-level or open/closed prompts or tag around log (mod approved!) it was first mentioned on this post!


[ Outside the Temple ]

The temple is located deep inside a heavily forested part of the heavens. Outside of the temple is littered with overgrown plants and roots and crumbling rocks and rubble. Most of it seems undisturbed and serene like no one has been this way in hundreds of years. Occasionally monkey and spider spirits can be seen crawling over cracked pillars or hiding in dark corners. Looking around you might find pictures of nameless faces etched into stone or old brass and copper coins under rocks or in the dirt. Beware of pitfalls.

[ Outer Sanctum ]

Immediately inside the temple is the Outer Sanctum which is filled with spots of sunlight. The place glitters with light from the sun trickling in from the broken and cracked roof. Pillars and walls gleam with jewels and precious stones ripe for the taking. If certain gems are disturbed you might hear slight rumblings in the distance or the floor might shake but nothing else of interest happens.

If you stay here long enough you might hear the chirping of bird spirits but there are none in sight. The birds will chatter and whisper in your ear with sing song tunes. Call back to them and they might just swoop and attack you. If killed they turn into sapphires.

[ Left Wing ]

The left wing is dark and many doors are locked or set with traps. Broken furniture litters the wing like a massive fight happened here. Dust settles on everything like a thick fog. If you enter some of the rooms you will find libraries and study halls. Most of the books crumble into dust when you touch them. There are tapestries all along the walls of a young Amaterasu. They can be taken off the walls and do not crumble like the books do. The ones that might catch your eye are the ones depicting her hiding in a cave from dark looming figures.

Dig enough through these rooms and you might find some strange trinkets:

- A branch that shakes when it is going to rain soon
- A jar of yellow ink that slowly turns black over several days
- A small leather book with several names of hafuri shinki inside
- A brass lamp engraved with a map of the heavens in ancient times when lit
- A leather bracer that gives you monstrous claws when worn
- A ring which if you put on you can’t remove but your godly power seems slightly enhanced

[ Right Wing ]

The right wing makes it hard for you to breathe inside. Some sort of shade or haze fills these halls and your head starts to hurt the longer you stay in this wing. The rooms that you find are all open and no door is locked but there are several puzzles to be found. You will find abandoned weaponry rooms and storage rooms. The strangest room you might find is the room filled with opened and empty human caskets. Many jars and old boxes scatter the halls in which some of them are broken some of them are intact.

Dig enough through these rooms and you might find some strange trinkets:

- A necklace with red jewels that seems to slightly enhance shinki borderlines
- An amulet set with a carved carnelian that makes you feel warm when you wear it
- A sealed box with no openings that sounds like there might be bugs crawling around inside
- A pouch with several mix matched diamond and gold earrings inside
- A golden statue in the shape of a praying Amaterasu
- A katana with no sheath that is broken and chipped but has a gold chain wrapped around it

[ Inner Sanctum ]

First you are met with a giant set of sealed doors that seem nearly impossible to open. The doors are covered with ancient characters that are unreadable unless you have a way to decipher it. The doors seem immovable by normal strength or magic and only by god or shinki powers once you are lucky enough to stumble on this fact or have a way to read the doors. Once you find this fact or have a way to read the messages, use a god or shinki power (of any sort) and the doors will slowly crack open to a dark Inner Sanctum.

The Inner Sanctum is one large chamber with several chairs and a large table in the center. There are melted down candles everywhere. Inside you find absolutely nothing else of interest. Hope you didn’t spend too much time trying to get the doors open, Wanderer. But does this mean someone got here before you?

Someone with a keen eye might notice the small box tucked away somewhere. Inside the box is a large glowing amethyst. If it is removed the monkey spirits outside the temple will attack everyone on sight.

[Any questions or ideas? Ping me at michrure! Be creative and have fun!]

Comments

[returnedfromtheline]

[Left Wing, almost]

The left wing is dark.
That’s all that Yukine needs to know for him to hesitate taking even one step further in there. But he’d overheard some of the others complaining about all the disintegrating books there, and he's become curious if any of them are salvageable. And even if they aren’t, perhaps there’s something else interesting in a place that used to be like a library or office.

Frowning into the darkness of the left wing, Yukine sighs tightly. He wants to go see… but.


[[ooc: prose or brackets; other starters a-ok!]]

[sonofson]

[Goten has been up and down and all around. Nothing is really keeping this boy from wanting to explore every inch of the temple. With the outside and outer sanctum cleared that leaves Goten with two options.

Left or Right.

He stands in the middle of the room, glancing to the right and then turning to the left as he tries to decide which one to go first. It's when he's looking towards the left wing he spots the older shinki. Is he trying to figure out which way to go? Exploring alone isn't as fun as exploring with a friend so Goten makes his way over.]

What do you think is down there?

[Goten reaches up a little to grab a hold of Yukine's right sleeve, giving it a small tug]

It's pretty dark huh?

[returnedfromtheline]

[Yes it's dark please don't emphasize what he wants to avoid thinking about...

Looking over to see who has come to be next to him, he's a little surprised to see that it's actually someone he knows. That makes him feel a bit better.]

Ah, Goten-kun. Well, I heard that there's the remains of books so maybe there's a library or-

[And Yukine cuts off as he realizes that this is the first he's seen the boy since the whole 'looking older' thing. Uh.]

Something. [He finishes abruptly.]

[sonofson]

[It's when Yukine turns and looks to him that Goten stares up at him. He knows that face---just on a taller body! There's no way he could forget meeting Yukine! Not after everything he taught him and the talk they had. Still....why is he is he smaller now?]

You got shorter....did you stop eating vegetables?

[Goten laughs, smiling all the while. Maybe he should listen to Sousuke and eat more greens too. Goten can't afford to get any smaller then he already is. But, older or younger, bigger or smaller, he's still delighted to run into Yukine and that much is clear by the big smile that lights up the boy's face]

Do you like books, Yukine? We should go check it out!

[returnedfromtheline]

No- [But Goten seems to be just rolling with it, which makes Yukine even less able to be irked about being short again.

So rather than trying to explain it, he just returns Goten's smile a little.]

Yah, I like books. You'll come search with me then?

[He lifts the large flashlight in his left hand. Between that and Goten's fearlessness, maybe it won't be so bad...]

[sonofson]

[The answer to that question is obvious as Goten gives another reassuring tug to Yukine's sleeve. He starts heading towards the left wing, hands empty. Goten clearly didn't think of grabbing a flash light or anything.]

Yeah! I wanna explore with you. Even if all we find is books. Who knows, maybe there's monsters too.

[He's way too excited for this and with another quick grin, he's headed that way with or without the other shinki.]

[returnedfromtheline]

[... Well, defending Goten from the traps of the temple would be one way to distract himself from his other worries.
Not that he wants to run into traps. Or monsters.]

That sounds like you'd rather run into a monster than find a treasure.

[Yukine quickly follows, turning the flashlight on and shining it some small distance ahead of them.]

How's your borderline coming, by the way?

[sonofson]

[It's good Yukine came prepared! Even if it's just a flash light thats better then no light at all.]

A monster would be fun. Maybe we'll find both!

[Sounds like a win-win! C'mon, Yukine. Don't you want to fight a big monster together? It would be fun!]

Uh, I got better at it! I just have to remember that advice you gave me and I can do it!

[He still does blast the ground sometimes, but thats only when he's trying to do a borderline without thinking about it. Borderlines are fine but...it doesn't come as natural as shooting a ball of energy from his hand.]

You helped me a lot! You're a good teacher!

[returnedfromtheline]

[Yukine would bring the sun in here if he could...]

[With a strained smile Yukine laughs in his throat. 'Fun', eh? Depends on the monster, maybe.
Yukine gives Goten a pat on the back as they walk.]

Really! That's great. I'm glad that you were able to get it.

[And of course he gives a small but fully pleased smile at the compliment.]

Well, you're a good student. I could tell you'd work hard at it.

[sonofson]

[The room may be dim with just Yukine's flashlight to brighten up the area but at the compliment Goten's face absolute lights up. He beams at Yukine as he looks up at him. Yes, Yukine is the best teacher ever!]

I practiced everyday! But it's thanks to you I was able to figure it out too! You're the bestest teacher ever!

[Never mind that that isn't a word, but Goten means it. He grins up at Yukine, bouncing with energy. He's gotta learn more stuff from Yukine sometime soon! The borderline he pretty much has down with a hiccup every so often but it's much better then before.]

I wanna learn more from you too.

[There's a bounce to Goten's step now, showing his glee. He was already excited to explore with the older shinki. It just keeps getting better and better even as it gets darker and darker as they go deeper into the wing. Even with Yukine's flashlight its hard to see far ahead.]

that extreme closeup icon! XD

[returnedfromtheline]

[Heh- take that, Kazuma-san. Yukine is a much better teacher than you!

The darkness pressing in is starting to get to him though, even being beside the energetic Goten. His voice is a bit distracted as he answers,]

Uh. Sure. Maybe I'll teach you umbra. It's a spell to hide yourself.

[As he speaks his steps slow. It- it's just his imagination that the light is getting dimmer the further they go in, right?]

Listen, let's check this room. [He points at the nearest door. He doesn't want to go any further into the wing.]

his most excited face just for you

[sonofson]

I donno any spells. But I wanna learn more from you, Yukine.

[Best teacher. Even if its a spell for hiding maybe it'll be fun to learn. He wants to become a better shinki. Maybe if he becomes a stronger and better shinki theb the gods he gets will stop disappearing.

His attention shifts to the door Yukine points out. He blinks at it. Goten wants to go deeper into the temple but checking out rooms along the way is probably a good idea.]

Okay!

[Goten is quick to jog over to the door and reach up to open it. There's no hesitation as he shoves the door open. If anything he's eager to see what's inside.]

[returnedfromtheline]

[It’s so darn nice to be needed.
But Yukine snaps out of that warm feeling as soon at Goten jogs away and reaches for the door so quickly.]

Wait! It’s—

[It’s dangerous, there is bad air and traps and you have to go slow, but an energetic kid who likes playing with sharks wouldn’t get that, would he.

Hand outstretched to try and stop Goten, he freezes when there is a small grinding noise and a strong blast of air comes from somewhere. Quickly turning his flashlight on Goten, he sees that the kid has been wrapped tightly in thin wires. Undoubtedly the trap was set with someone taller in mind, and the wires are also caught in his hair and wound around his face, right down to his knees.]

Goten!

[Rushing to his side, Yukine at once tries to pull off one of the wires around the boy’s face, but not only is it tight against the skin, but it feels sharp, making it even more difficult to get a grip on.]

Don’t move. Don’t move, okay? I’ll get you out of this.

[Somehow.]

[pure_radiantics]

Kairi's wandered her way around two or three times now and so long as she's going with someone else, this is fine. Yukine's a friend after all, and one of the most skilled shinki anyway, right? She'll be fine. She does stop when Yukine does though, and looks over his shoulder.

"Everything okay, Yukine? It's not more of those darn birds is it?" She's still mad that they didn't like her singing!

[returnedfromtheline]

"Huh?" Pulling himself out of concentrating so much on the darkness ahead, Yukine starts walking again to catch up with her. His pace is unconsciously a bit fast from his nerves, though.

"Yah, 's fine. What about birds?" Please distract him with this story.

[pure_radiantics]

"Oh... I thought the birds were bothering you." She stands next to him, since they're both pretty lithe. (It's still a little weird to her that he's actually her height. He was so tall when they met the first time!) Then she tries to look at his face and hands and the rest of his body language. "Something else? I don't mind if you need to go back for something you forgot." Which she only considers because of how laden with items Lara was earlier.

[returnedfromtheline]

(It's weird for him too- he'd give just about anything to be that tall all the time...)

Keeping his expression carefully blank he shakes his head slightly. "Maybe... If I remember what I forgot to bring, I'll go back for it." One hand unconsciously shifts the strap of his backpack. He's pretty sure he has everything he'd need in it, but having 'forgotten' something would be a good reason to leave. In his other hand, he lifts his large flashlight and concentrates on keeping the beam focused a short distance ahead of them.

Not wanting to get too far into the darkness of this wing though he quickly asks, "should we try one of these doors?" He can see the outline of three doors in the ambient light from the flashlight, but he doesn't cast the beam further in that direction. He wants the area closest to him to be lit.

[pure_radiantics]

"Well if you're sure you're ready to go further in." She can't tell how nervous he is, but she does cross her arms in thought. "I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to check out the doors - I was worried about more of those birds showing up, or something like them in here - like maybe bats. You know, I tried singing to them before - the same song they were singing, I thought - and they attacked instead! The monkeys outside weren't like that at all!" There, he got most of the story out of her anyway. "Maybe they didn't like the bright lights or something." She shrugs and stands close by one shoulder, since he has the flashlight. "If nothing else, we always have Borderlines, huh?"

[returnedfromtheline]

"Ah. Yah, I can't imagine that birds would like it much in here." He sure doesn't. "They attacked you for singing though? I guess animals on the Far Shore are a little unusual then-"

Yukine cuts off as she stands close by his shoulder. Close!

"R-right, borderlines. We gotta watch out for traps that are faster than borderlines though. A trap wouldn't be effective if it wasn't built with the potential trespassers in mind, right?"

And taking a slow breath to help him concentrate (which is no small feat as it is, but he's going to do this, darnit!), he crouches near the chosen door. Shining his light over it, he can't notice anything unusual. Not that he knows what's he's looking for, exactly, but Lara-sama said to look for anything 'out of place'.

"Does anything look off to you?"

[pure_radiantics]

"Izumo seems to think it wasn't really my singing, just kinda that I bothered them, but I think if I'd been a better singer it might've helped a bit?" Maybe. Or not at all. She's just frustrated that the monkeys took to her while the birds didn't.

Kairi walks up and looks at the area around the handle, but then just shrugs. "Nope, I don't see anything 'off' at all." She reaches for the door's handle, clearly not afraid.

"Let's look inside!" She opens the door without another word, letting it swing wide on creaking hinges. Inside looks like a bedroom, unlit - but from the faint light of Yukine's own lantern, Kairi can see a bed and desk. "There's another lantern in here, Yukine!" She spies it on top of the desk. There's also a chest at the base of the bed.

[returnedfromtheline]

Yukine sighs a small breath of relief that the door isn't trapped. (He's a little paranoid.)

Entering in behind Kairi he shines his light around the room, lingering a moment on the lantern she points out.

"I can light it." Nothing wrong with more light, for sure. Moving over towards the desk he sets down his backpack and starts digging around in it. And realizing that this is leaving most of the rest of the room in the dark he asks,

"Seeing as I have the light over here, do you want to check the desk first?"

[pure_radiantics]

She's definitely less paranoid than him, but not necessarily braver either.

"Sure, I don't mind... but that's a really interesting lantern over there. That design isn't anything I recognize." It kind of looks like a map to her but not of a place she knows. When she opens the desk drawer, she doesn't see anything really special at first, but then she opens one of the larger side drawers. "Oh, there's a... tree branch in here?"

She pulls it out into the light and it has a little blue band attached to it. "I can't believe someone would keep this..." She touches the blue band though. It's definitely ornamental, but there doesn't appear to be anything else special about it. "What do you think, Yukine?

[returnedfromtheline]

[As she speaks Yukine lights a candle and puts it in the lantern. He then looks at the branch blandly.]

Paperweight?

[He leans across the desk to get a better look.]

Looks like nothing special. [He supposes the way the branch is smooth like it’d been worn down by water is kind of pretty, but that’s about it.
Turning his attention back to the lantern he tries closing its shutters. They’re stiff from age.]

I suppose it’s possible that stuff that had meaning to the owners and no one else was left behind.

[pure_radiantics]

I guess you could be right about that.

[She keeps twisting the branch in her hand, looking at it while she talks to Yukine.]

Do you have a paperweight like this? I mean, I guess I could just ask if you keep trinkets like that at all, or what your favorite one is.

[She says all that while looking for a towel or box or something to put the branch in and take it with her. Maybe some kind of map case...?]

[returnedfromtheline]

Huh?

[He looks up from the lamp towards her.]

That's kinda random. But no, I don't have any paperweights, or 'trinkets' or stuff like that.

[Turning back to the lamp his voice becomes softer, yet serious.

He's dead. (And he has a debt to pay off.) So,] I don't need things like that.

[Finally getting the last shutter into place he huffs a little in satisfaction, then leans in closer.]

Oh? It has a bunch of tiny holes in it. All over, too.