• Event • [Moderated Thread]Mapping the Ice Caves: Trial 1

[Pegasus]

The Ice Caves of Ishallr

The Beginning

13th Ashan 717

Welcome to Ishallr. A tiny island which would probably never be named were it not for the ice caves on it. Scalvorians have always believed that they are constantly shifting and changing. However, as of Vhalar 716, when the Academy started to fund the exploration, what was known about this place started to grow exponentially. The small group of scientists are delighted to be here and they have discovered, already, a number of things about the caves.

The most important thing is that not all of them move. They have spent this time, up until 1st Ashan 717, mapping out which caves are moving and which are "stasis caves". A group of hardy (some might say foolhardy) souls have been hired by the University in Andaris, and the Viden Academy in both Viden and Scalvoris to explore these "statis caves"

Main Camp for the expedition has now been set up at the entrance to these caves. Visitors to Ishallr, either for the expedition or for the tours which have been set up much to Zach's chagrin, will be taken to these entrance caves.

No matter what the weather on the rest of Scalvoris is doing, here it is freezing. The floor outside is deep snow and inside is at a constant temperature of truly uncomfortable. The "reception" area once you step into the caves themselves is a place filled with coats and hats, scarves and gloves. There is no receptionist, certainly. However, that being said, an unexpected visitor might go twenty paces before someone notices them.

Really -this place is like no other. The walls are ice, the floor is snow and, as much as it should be dark in here? Somehow, it's bright light. Like the ice itself is glowing. Again, no one knows why, but Zach is very excited about it!

The expedition itself had seemed, perhaps, different on paper. In theory, rather than in practice as they got ready to leave. They'd been split into groups and this lot had been put together. It wasn't cold, it was beyond anything they'd ever felt in terms of cold. To give an example, it was so cold that their eyelashes froze.

Zach, however, bound up to them and smiled. "Hello! Good morning! I hope you're all excited! So, your job is to take what we've named the 'Tiddles Tunnel, we've named them all after our pets, and map the stasis caves you find there." Zach seemed somewhat like an over excited puppy himself. "There are three groups going today, you're the first to leave, so you have your choice of who of us goes with you. Once you've decided who will be accompanying you, go through to the Store and take what gear you want. Oh, here, to help you carry things. These are on loan, you'll have to give them back."

As he said that, he handed each of them a bag. It was a large bag which could be worn as a backpack. "It has an enchantment on it, you can fit anything in there that fits through the opening. Very useful. So, choose your companion, pick your gear and remember, your job is to map but not just that. Collect samples, bring back as much as you can both in terms of physical items and written description. Good luck!" With that, after handing each of them a Domain Bag, without waiting to see if there were any questions, he bounded off

Expedition Leader

Name: Zach
Race: Human
Age: Born 688
Title: Expedition Leader
Skills: Dagger: 63, Fieldcraft 60, Appraisal: 60, Animal Husbandry: 55, Hunting: 50, Art, 45
Other Information: Zach is an eccentric fellow who is entirely engrossed in the task of recording every single creature on Idalos. He is delighted to be here, ignoring the cold and doing his best to jolly everyone along. He is a kind mind, but very focused on the job.

NPCs

Below are the NPCs which could accompany you on your expedition. Only one will and your first job, as a group, is to decide who you want with you. This can be done via PM between yourselves and then just let me know.

► Show Spoiler

Phillipe von Plindershlaus.
Mixed Race.
Looks to be in his late twenties.
Known Advantages: Phillipe is a very proficient doctor / medic. He does not panic in an emergency.
Known Disadvantages: Phillipe has a constant whiff of alcohol around him and a seemingly bottomless hip flask. He is so laconic that he might not react enough in an emergency.

Jackson Eclipse
Human
Male
Looks to be in his mid to late thirties.
Known Advantages: Jackson is a very skilled hunter / tracker who is very used to surviving in the freezing cold.
He has a number of useful items which will help the group be comfortable.
Known Disadvantages: Jackson is a ruthless man and will not allow one to risk the many. He will leave one person behind without remorse if it saves the other four.
He has a known temper and a tendency to rub folks up the wrong way.

Enid Shadowfoot
Mixed Blood
Female
Looks to be in her late twenties.
Known Advantages: Enid is skilled with both sword and bow. She is very focused on all members of the group staying alive.
Known Disadvantages: Enid is impetuous ~ which might lead to her charging off / not paying attention. She is highly strung and tends to talk ~ a lot.

OOC Stuff

1. I will post every 3 days. If I'm going to be delayed, I'll pop up a post in the OOC thread in Scalv. I'm going to go with a 3 strikes and you're out. So, miss 3 rounds of posting and I'll write you out.
2. This is a high risk thread. You are charting unknown territory - and it's very chilly. Take silly risks and they will have consequences. Depending on what you do, it should take between 3 - 5 trials in game time.
3. Unless you bring a personal npc with you, please don't control the NPCs.
4. Have fun, wrap up warm, don't get killed and keep an eye out behind you......

!

Message from: Pegasus

Useful links for you: Ishallr: Overview Ishallr: Entrance & Main Camp In your post please: Obviously, feel free to interact with each other, greet each other etc. One of you let me know which NPC you're picking Then, go to the store together and pick your equipment. Assume that all reasonable camping / survival / cold weather gear is there as well as general supplies, rations etc. Please then, in your next post, give me a list of what you're taking with you from the store - which I will approve (or not) - all of these things (including the Domain Bag) are on loan - you do not get to keep them -please don't put them in your inventory. Please be aware - you are there to map / explore / etc. If no one does these things ic, no one has done them. I will post again on the 4th April.

[Niv]

Talk of an upcoming expedition had found its way to Niv, through the gossip the Tunawa listened in on after her classes. While many seemed interested in the idea of the venture, when asked if they were planning on joining the question was usually met with dismissive chuckles. While Niv’s curiosity grew like a weed, she shared in her classmates apprehension. At the casual mention of Padraig’s name however, Niv’s eagerness ignited and it wasn’t long before she signed up. It was one thing to go to an uncharted cave full of dangerous beasts alone and another thing to go with a friend. Her excitement grew even further when Niv found out Amaris was coming as well.

In preparation for the expedition, Niv first went out to buy a proper coat and pair of boots. Niv did her best to avoid the cold of Cylus by begrudgingly staying inside where the fire kept things at a more comfortable temperature. She could handle bursts of chill while she traveled but an entire ice cave would require something extra. The local clothing store had a few coats available for tunawa, The one with bunny ears on the hood immediately caught her attention. It was made of a dense wool felt with three purple button clasps going down the front. After Niv tried it and felt its warmth she knew she had to have it. Shoes were much more difficult thing to find but eventually she stumbled upon a toy store and found a pair of knee high doll shoes that fit perfectly.

The only other things Niv would need was provisions, for this Niv would have to do a bit of hunting. She would wait patiently near a small crack in the wall of her dormitory with a pebble in her hand ready to strike. Once Niv caught sight of twitching antenna, she readied her pebble and slammed the poor creature quickly in the head once it came out. Niv did this a few times in different places and got a couple silverfish, house centipedes and even a mouth. She stuffed the bugs into her domain bag for safe keeping, There wasn’t much else a tunawa really needed.


When the day came and Niv found herself on the Island, nothing could prepare her for how piercing the cold was. Even with the her warm coat, she still felt numb, stiff and a bit lethargic. That said, the view was stunning and surreal, Niv looked around with a sleepy looking gaze at the icy crystal that made up the surroundings. She nearly jumped a foot when the expedition leader strutted up, greeted them and explained how the camp worked.

Niv wasn’t offered a bag like the others, but it didn’t matter since she had her own enchanted bag that held nearly all her belongings tied around her neck like a cape. As a result Niv didn’t need to shop for further supplies, She had many items that would help with healing, collecting samples and everything she would need.


“Who do yews dink we ask teh lead us” Niv whispered up at Padraig and Amaris as she gave quick glances at the three exhibition leaders. based off looks alone Niv couldn’t really tell but the women with the bow seemed fun as she moved her hands about as she talked to the other two.

[Padraig]

Having signed up for the expedition in the previous cycle, Padraig had known this trial would come, and he'd prepared for it best he could. Then, he'd signed the both of them up, him and Faith, before leaving Rynmere. But as fate and circumstance would have it, he'd have to go off on his own. Or at least without her by his side.

He didn't care for it. But no one could accuse him of not being prepared. It wasn't just him making sure of it. With all the added clothing he wore in addition to a set of good, flexible leather armor, in addition to hat gloves and a good pair of boots, he'd have argued that he'd melt under all of those layers. If not for the unnatural cold that the caves were known for.

He'd armed himself too, with long sword, knife, crossbow, and brought along just about everything else he, or Faith, could think of that he'd possibly need. He'd brought his own domain bag as well, so wouldn't need the one provided for him.

He'd endured a little teasing as well. For all the times that he'd teased Faith for the impulse that had caused her to purchase a spelunking kit cycles ago, two trials past he'd gone home with one of his own. He was equipped well enough as a scientist too and had included a handful of things from his lab, as well as a notebook that would enable him to record his observations. Maybe he would need that extra domain bag after all.

There were a few others there when he arrived. Most he hadn't met before, but a handful that he knew already. There was Niv after all, and the other young woman that he'd met briefly at the gathering of the Intelligentsia. He greeted them both with a smile, a nod, and the same for their exuberant host Zach.

When asked who they'd choose for their guide, Padraig looked over their options with a critical eye, tried to gain some insight by looking before suggesting that they might choose the sturdy looking fellow in the middle. He looked physically capable if stern, and seemed to be fairly comfortable in an environment that was a harsh one, and would probably grow harsher still as they went.

[Amaris]

Amaris was not one normally impulsive, but opportunities to learn and explore the new landscape of Scalvoris tended to bring such a trait out in them. The mixed blood woman had not hesitated to apply, delighted to see their name on the roster for the expedition. It was also a heartening surprise to see a few other familiar names. Knowing that Niv and Padraig would be with them made the expedition feel that much more exciting. They had not gotten to talk much with them before, but now would be a perfect opportunity.

The one thing that could dim their spirits was the full realization of how cold the caves were. They had expected it, and as such had prepared thicker coats and boots to wear, but not to this degree. Other dressed just as warmly would already have their teeth chattering and a chill seeping in. The bit of Ellune blood they had couldn’t keep them from shivering as they arrived at the caves. Breathtaking, but cold; this was already turning out to be quite the experience.

Amaris was quick to approach Niv and Padraig, beaming down at them. They exchanged their pleasantries before meeting their expedition leader Zach. Enthusiastic, he wasted no time in handing them their domain bags and leaving them to decide on a guide to choose. Their options were all quite good, though Amaris found themselves eyeing the second of their choices. He seemed most adapted to the climate of the caves and would likely know best how to stay warm if not safely navigate the caves. As they hurriedly took a few rolls of bandaging and gauze in the case of injury, a journal, and a ruler, they pursed their lips as they thought over their decision.

”I think Mr. Eclipse would be our best choice,” they stated, finally. They nodded, confirming the decision to themselves despite having already voiced it. Glancing over at their companions, Amaris awaited their opinions eagerly.

[Pegasus]

The Ice Caves of Ishallr

The First Trial

13th Ashan 717

The 'stasis caves' excited Zach in ways which he really could not easily quantify. He was, he must admit, a little envious of those souls who got to map them, to bring back samples and maybe artefacts or, who knew what. This lot seemed a little... odd, really, a Tunawa, a human and a mixed race. Maybe they'd get the best stasis caves, he thought. He was sure they would, really. The Tiddles Tunnels had been named after his own beloved and very missed dog, after all.

The cold was beyond anything any of them had felt and so, they were urged to go and get their supplies. As they gathered together and between them chose the inscrutable and rather grouchy-seeming Mr Eclipse. He joined them and looked the three of them over, shaking his head. "We're doomed before we begin." Standing there in the store room, he looked at them one at a time.

Firstly, he turned his rather stern gaze to Niv. "You. Tunawa. I don't care what your name is. You're going to freeze to death. Literally. A coat isn't going to do it, these are the ice caves not the Faldrass resort. Over there, Tunawa sized supplies. Get yourself gloves, two pairs. Thick clothing, socks, it's good that you've got boots, get your head covered by something that doesn't have flappy things which are going to freeze, then melt and make you wet and cold. And get a scarf around your face. Or go home." It seemed that Mr Eclipse's reputation for saying it how he saw it was not unfounded.

Then, steely gaze turned to Padraig, whose attire at least met with slightly more approval. "Can you use those weapons? Don't fire that thing unless you need to, we've had a couple of caves collapse, and I'd rather not take risks. Any weapons you can't use, leave here. All of you." He sniffed a little and then added, "And I've no intention of waiting around while you fish stuff out of that bag. Bring the other one, put things in there which we're just taking back. The problem with these bags are, unless you organise them, you can waste a lot of time finding things. Did you organise that bag, son?" Just the tone suggested that he suspected, just by looking at the young man in front of him, that Padraig's bag was not organised.

Finally, his glance turned to Amaris. "Well, look here. You're already shivering. You'll be dead within half a trial. Go over there, get the same supplies as her." He motioned to Niv. "Except other end of the line, you being roughly the size of a house." Mr Eclipse had a clear policy. They weren't leaving until everyone was properly equipped. If any of them refused to get properly equipped, then that one wasn't leaving.

Once they were all equipped, and he would make sure that they all had camping gear, rope, flasks of water and rations, he stood at the entrance to the "Tiddles Tunnel" and spoke to them.

"Ok, my happy troop. There are rules. I will do everything I can to keep you alive, but if you don't do what I tell you, when I tell you, then you are on your own." He didn't so much not seem to be joking more, incapable of it. "You behave in a way which is stupid, I'll try and help you. But I'm not risking the others because of your stupid. You do something reckless you're on your own. You two." He motioned to Amaris and Padraig, "Map. Every detail. What one of you misses, the other might catch. We inventory each room. You." This one to Niv. "Caves like this are filled with nooks and crannies. You're going to be invaluable. Make sure you've got that ball of twine, I'm not letting you become a dead twig in a crevice I sent you into."

He didn't ask if there were any questions, he just got on and moved.

And so, heading out in a northerly direction from the store room, the small group started to move. They made their way down a long tunnel which would be, Jackson told them, the last man-made tunnel they were going to see for a while. It was a long trek, which must have taken a while to create. There were glowing rocks casting an eerie light here, but it was almost like the tunnel had sun light on the other side of it.

Then, the tunnel opened out and they stepped into the first of the stasis caves they were going to explore. A number of things were obvious, quite quickly. The cavern they were in was entirely natural. It was big and the roof was very high, soaring up to maybe a hundred foot at its zenith. It was almost like a cathedral.

Unlike the densely packed snow of the dug out tunnels, the floors of this cavern were snow and their feet sank into it. Things were already difficult for Niv, simply because of her size. The cavern though was lit, brightly lit in fact. This was by virtue of the blocks of ice which were emanating light. They were glowing what appeared to be bright sunlight and they were in the floor, the walls and the roof. The effect was astonishing.

"Alright. We stand still and map, observe. Then we walk as a team, around the cavern, continuing to map and observe. Then, we split and collect samples. Any questions?" That was his tactic each time. Observe, group walk, then individual collection.

In the observation and group walk of the cavern, they noted a lot of the glowing ice throughout the place. In the southeastern corner of the cavern there was a frozen pond with things in it and there were what appeared to be frozen remains huddled around it. Jackson noted them, but did not stop to examine in detail. Embedded in the western wall was a small crevice which, once they noticed it seemed to be part of an almost-honeycomb like structure which covered a few square feet of wall and there were some strange-looking fungus growing in the north of the room. It was also in the far north that there was what seemed to be the only exit from the cavern.

NPC

You have chosen:

► Show Spoiler

Jackson Eclipse
Human
Male
Looks to be in his mid to late thirties.
Known Advantages:
Jackson is a very skilled hunter / tracker who is very used to surviving in the freezing cold.
He has a number of useful items which will help the group be comfortable.

Known Disadvantages:
Jackson is a ruthless man and will not allow one to risk the many. He will leave one person behind without remorse if it saves the other four.

He has a known temper and a tendency to rub folks up the wrong way.

OOC Stuff & Mod Notes: All Read Please!

!

Message from: Pegasus

1. I will post every 3 days. If I'm going to be delayed, I'll pop up a post in the OOC thread in Scalv. I'm going to go with a 3 strikes and you're out. So, miss 3 rounds of posting and I'll write you out. 2. This is a high risk thread. You are charting unknown territory - and it's very chilly. Take silly risks and they will have consequences. Depending on what you do, it should take between 3 - 5 trials in game time. 3. Unless you bring a personal npc with you, please don't control the NPCs. 4. There is no posting order, post when you're able to. 5. One post only between my posts, please. 6. Have fun, wrap up warm, don't get killed and keep an eye out behind you......

In your next post!

In your next post, please can you end with which, if any, of the phenomena in this room you are going to explore individually ~ and whether you're going to try and take samples of them. If you are... let me know how?

Please give me this information in an ooc list of each phenomena in rank order - and only include the ones which your pc would explore.

I will post again on the 7th April or sooner if everyone has posted by then.

This is the last chance for new people to join this thread. If anyone wishes to, once you've signed up etc ~
please just post with the others, assuming you have been there.

[Lakia Amaranthine]

Lakia was late joining the expedition, but she had gotten lost on the way. Again. She grunted as she headed into the cave, the cold catching her by surprise, even though she was wearing all of her warm clothes. Fortunately, they had additional warm clothes and she stopped to suit up, listening while the director told them how they would be going about their work. Thee didn't seem to be many here, and she let them choose who would be guiding them without raising a comment about it, as she didn't really care. Two pairs of gloves, a second coat with a hood, and some warmer boots warmed the Naer right up, or at least as well as warm could be in this situation.

Her expanded bag she looked at with interest, considering the only two items she had purchased, her bow and her arrow-filled quiver. After a moments thought, she put her bow in her quiver and lowered them into the bag, but hooked the belt attached to her quiver at the top of the bag, to make sure she had easy access to it. She followed the others into the "store" area, where she added some camping gear to her pack, though the mapping gear she stuffed into her pockets instead. She also added two knives, one large and one small, in case she needed them.

After they were done in the store, she followed the others down the tunnel and into the caves, though she kept a distance behind them, as she was far from the trusting sort. However, when they entered the new cave, she let out a gasp of awe. The cave was beautiful, but there was something...almost frightening about it. She tried to think of the woods, where she was most comfortable, but they seemed forbidding when she thought about them. She shook herself and looked around again, though she listened quietly to Jackson's words.

When told too, the Naer took out her map and pen and started to write, and while her map didn't look good, she figured she'd at least be able to find her way back if need be. After all, what else was a map for? After that, the man had them explore the cave as a group. The place...further unnerved her, but it was the corpses, more than the fungus or wall, or especially the glowing ice. When the group split up, she went straight to investigate the corpses first.

Off Topic

From the cold weather gear: Two pairs of gloves, one coat with a hood, one pair of warm boots.
From the Camp Store: Domain bag, tent, kindle, bed roll, parchement, quill, ink, 20 feet of rope, one large knife and one small knife for sample collection.
For exploration order: Pond, fungus, wall, ice.

[Niv]

Niv glared at the man with fiery eyes and clutched fists as he went off on her. She couldn’t think of anything to say in retort and worst of all the Tunawa suspected he was right. The cold became increasingly more unbearable the more she was exposed to it and if it was to get any colder Niv would be an Nivcicle. The idea that something as simple as cold could kill her was preposterous but being trapped for Moseke knows how long in an icy casing sounded far worse.

She huffed in protest, and stopped her tiny but heavy boots towards the store. To make her immaturity all the more evident, Niv began mumbling every obscenity she could think of in the Three foreign languages she knew.
“Donkey sniffing psycho wiener, Barf dayawa timole man who eats cheese of many cows, Baraku amu wäjẹ kọv anou bum osise telling eo dẹọdọ tä ẹdä’äläwọ.”
Back in Ne’hear Niv had picked up a few colourful words in Rakahi from Biqaj sailors and a few frustrated curses in Murnasian from her over worked classmates. Whether it was the cold. the icy reception from her guide or a combination of both, Niv was clearly irritable.

Heading to the store she looked at the supplies available, and visibly slumped at how drab they looked. No purples, or oranges just grey with patches of sad brown.
“Dis all dat you have?” Niv asked the store clerk trying her best not to sound like she’d just eaten something dreadful.
The person tending the store simply looked down at Niv, shook their bundled up head and pointed again at the clothing. When the store clerk turned her head Niv stuck her tongue out at the clothes but none the less put them on. She also took a bit of time to arrange her belongings in her bag. She had beakers and knives for collecting samples, yarn for rope, dead bugs for sustenance, she basically had it all.

Niv stumbled back to the group feeling like a bloated hippo, or a rabbit that had eaten a mountain of carrots. Niv couldn’t help but wonder how humans move with so much layers, Or why they would bother going to places this cold in the first place.
“Bunny hood stay.” Niv glared up at Mr eclipse through the small opening her musty looking scarf would allow. The Tunawa’s arms were crossed and her chest was puffed out in defiance, she would almost be considered intimidating if she weren’t a walking tumbleweed with bunny ears.

Niv listened to the lecture on what was expected of the group. She didn’t have objections to the rules themselves but the way the man said it made Niv want to smack him hard in the toe.
“We should have picked deh lady wit deh bow.” Niv grumbled to her partners as Mr. Eclipse moved out of earshot. “She seemed fun.”

There was a newcomer to the group that Niv hadn’t ever seen before. The other women seemed more rugged than the rest of the party, sort of like Mr eclipse but not quite as abrasive only distant.
“Hello lady, My name Niv. Welcome to dis group.” Niv wobbled back in forth in an attempt to nod her head since she couldn’t give her usual smile with her scarf in the way.

As the group got deeper into the caves so did the level of snow, and Nivs awkward waddles became wiggles of desperation.
“Help I stuck.” Niv flailed her stubby arms around as she fell into a particularly deep patch of snow. She would thank who ever happened to come to her aid, if they asked to carry her Niv would put up no resistance. Niv did wish her bird mount Patcha could come but he would have frozen in a matter of ticks if he did.

While the others mapped the area out Niv was free to look at the glimmering wonder around her without interruption. The beauty of the crystal caves made up for the unpleasantries she had experience so far, and she nearly forgot the coldness that threatened to kill them all..except her of course.

They made their way around the cave as a team and Niv made sure to capture as much details as possible, she especially looked out for any small cracks she could slip into.

The fungus was, unsurprisingly what attracted her attention the most and when sample time came, Niv would go there. She would smell the fungus, touch the fungus and when the guide wasn’t looking she would cut a piece of the fungus and put it in her bag to eat later. For a Tunawa the best way to find out if plant life was poisonous was to stuff it in your face, sadly this fungus was too cold for that so she would have to wait. When the Eclipse looked back, Niv tweeted her most innocent song bird hymn and stuffed a second sample into her vile.

[Padraig]

Familiar faces and names, even if their chosen guide wasn't. That was a good thing, Padraig guessed. Unless those he knew already, well or in passing, were more familiar than they were capable. He worried about Niv, or her size in particular. On the other hand it might be that her tiny stature would come in handy.

The third person to join them, Padraig didn't know at all. But she looked capable and that was good enough for him. He introduced himself, thinking that names were good to have so you'd know who to shout a warning to should something go wrong. And if they'd picked a capable guide, it hadn't been the friendliest of choices. "I can use it competently enough," he said when asked about his bow. And he'd be taking it with him. As for his sack? "It couldn't be any more organized than it is." Sorted by a professional organizer, he wanted to say, but decided to keep the comment to himself.

Nevertheless he went through the stores and added some extra layers and camping gear to what he'd brought with him. At the last, he picked up a chisel and a small mallet, thinking they might come in handy if he wanted to collect any samples.

As they headed out, it was the glow from the ice which first caught Padraig's attention. Sunlight shining through? Maybe. But it seemed different somehow. And as they arrived in a larger chamber, the depth of the snow and its powdery consistency gave him pause. Why so much snow this far inside a cave? Had the wind carried it in, all the way from the outside?

And the glow that lit up the place was even more striking than before, and Padraig rubbed his eyes a little, willing them to adjust to the abrupt change. Niv though, well, the problem she was having in particular, he thought, might have been predicted. So he wasn't surprised when she called for help. He paused and turned back, plucked her out of the drift she'd found herself in, and lifted her to his shoulder. "Take shelter inside my hood if you want. Warmer in there, I suspect."

There was plenty to see, plenty to observe in the chamber. The corpses were a surprise to say the least. A disturbing one and even more so that their guide didn't seem to take notice. Nonetheless he'd start by mapping the place and pulled his notebook from out of his sack. He meticulously recorded all that he saw, noted the scale, color and so on. Then once the mapping was done, he'd explore and take some samples.

First the ice, where he used the chisel and mallet to knock a small piece off, and drop into a jar he'd brought with him. He wondered, did it still glow after he chipped it away? Then he'd explore the area around the pond to see if he could identify the corpses, then he'd take a sample of the fungus, and put it into a vial to store away. And for each thing that he took an official sample of, Padraig took another specimen just for himself. Who knew how useful these things would be to an alchemist. He intended to find out.

[Arwel Kyric]

It was cold, an observation made obvious from how his breath condensed into puffs in front of his mouth, and the snow and ice that he could see everywhere as he entered the cave, a silent shadow in the group. He had his pistol crossbow and sword sheathed on his baldric that was resting across his chest. His gaze roved the cave as they entered, immensely curious about the ice that seemed to glow, even further into the cave where it should have dimmed. He accepted the domain bag and peered into it curiously, having never encountered such a thing before. He glanced to the store next and opted for more layers, putting them on beneath his leather armor and putting plenty of rations into the bag. After a moment of thought, he decided to empty his own light canvas bag of the sleeping gear he had and put it into the domain bag instead so he wouldn't be carrying too much, adding to it a tent from the camping supplies as he did not have one under normal circumstances, and left his sleeping bag with his things for a more heavy duty one in the supplies. He wasn't taking any chances when it came to keeping warm, that was for sure. He may be warm-blooded, but that wouldn't necessarily protect him from getting frostbite or sick by being irresponsible and not dressing warm enough.

He had just gathered all that he felt he needed for the delve into the caverns deep when the one they had chosen to guide them walked forward and spoke to everyone. Organizing his things in his bag, he avoided eye contact to avoid being called out and waited until he led the way in to start on his way, pausing only when he noticed the smallest of their party still getting clothes and seeming not all too happy to have to do so. Wanting to take the rear of the group, mostly out of shyness, he noticed the small one get stuck in the snow and moved to help her out, but was beat to the punch by another of the party who seemed to know her better and he moved his hands back to himself, adjusting the straps on his bag nervously as he followed behind, looking around curiously. The glowing ice in particular really had his attention. Why was it glowing so far in? It looked as though sun were shining right into the cave, but that was not possible with the depth to which they had ventured. How was it glowing? Magic? Would it only glow in it solid form? Or would it also glow in liquid and gaseous states? Many questions ran through his mind as he looked around at the walls, and he felt an inherent desire to take some of the ice and see what would happen out of sheer curiosity. The honeycombed walls were another curiosity of his and after doing a sketch to the best of his ability of the cave, he decided that would be the second place he'd investigate, the first being the nearest wall in order to try and obtain a bit of the ice and see what would happen. After that, maybe he'd get up the courage to approach anyone in the group. It wouldn't do well to stay by himself, what if he got separated from the group? No one would notice if no one had spoken to him, and that was not a thought he liked to have. He did plan on keeping away from the pond, while it'd be nice to peer into its frozen depths, but he did not fancy looking at the frozen remains that were nearby it. After a moment, he approached the tallest woman who had also needed to get clothes (Amaris) and said, "I love the interesting way this cave is lit, and how it is all from the ice. I wonder how it is done, don't you?" After speaking, he moved to pull his journal from his bag, one that he owned, and pulled out the pen that he bought with it, thinking that perhaps while they were here, he might draw some inspiration for his own writing.

[Amaris]

Amaris would not debate their current level of chill in regards to their surroundings, as Mr. Eclipse had astutely observed. They would have preferred a better way of stating it, though. Their initial glee would not be dampened by Eclipse’s roughness. They did suppose it would be best to follow his directions, given he clearly had more experience. They complied, walking to the direction in which they were pointed. It did not pass them, though, that Niv was not so pleased by this development. They stifled a laugh at the Tunawan’s displeased words before scanning the store room.

While the warm gear was their size, they faced the same predicament as Niv: lack of color. If the silvery strands of hair against the earthy tone of their skin wasn’t a small indicator of liking some splash of color, it would only take a glance at their usual wardrobe to discern as much. They, however, took it to be what it was and soon found themselves bundled in an extra layer of thick clothing to go over what they had thought would work initially. For good measure—and because it had seemed like a smart thing to do—they took a few vials to put samples in and a ruler to assist in their attempt at map making. Lips pursed, they turned their attention to the two strangers of the party. One was a woman they had not seen before, but didn’t particularly seem keen on interacting with the group. That was fine, they supposed. The second was a man, likely around their own age. Before they could think to talk to either, the group was moving.

The first thing that had drawn their attention as they were lead was the pond. Well, not the pond itself, but more so the corpses around it. They were not accustomed to seeing anything dead, even if these people had frozen. That could be them if they weren’t careful. A chill went through them that had nothing to do with the cold as they stared on. The others didn’t seem too affected by it, they noted as they turned to look around at something else. They blinked, assessed their surroundings before nearly jumping out of their skin as they were spoken to. Not easily spooked, Amaris figured they must have been more fixated on avoiding the corpses than they had thought.
A smile graced their lips as they turned to look at who had spoken to them. The tall woman had gravitated towards the glowing ice without thinking. They had to be more aware of what they were doing. After a quick mental rebuke, nodded in response to the man. ”There could be some kind of substance that makes them glow frozen within them, or is part of the water itself. Maybe some sort of chemical.” They shrugged, brows furrowing. Interesting, indeed. They pulled the few sheets of paper they’d shoved into their bag out with a pencil, marking down their observations. They wasted no time in taking out a vial and scraping shavings of the ice into it. If it melted and retained its glow, it could be a clue as to what made it glow in the first place. Though, they supposed there could be an outside light source that was hitting it at the right angle to shine through.

Again the pond plagued them, and jaw clenched, they retreated away from it. Amaris looked instead to the honeycomb wall. Head tilted as they approached, they dared to ghost their fingers along the peculiar patch of wall before them. They knew better than to actually touch it, the cold radiating through the gloves they’d taken from the store room. They did not remain there for long, drifting off to the fungus. Using a spare pencil to cut away a small sample, they promptly put it in a vial. They remained set on avoiding the pond, though the other stranger of the group had gone towards it first. Maybe they would ask about it later.