I’ll take my throne, lay it on a mountain

[achievementhunter]

Who: Our volunteer mountaineers
What: Two parties split up to scale the mountain from two sides, planning to meet at it’s peak. Shenanigans occur along the way.
When: September 13th to 16th
Where: Group 1: G3, H2, G2 || Group 2: F3, F2, G2
Warnings: Please note any warnings in your subject headers!


Word spreads quickly in a small community such as this. What was originally intended to be a small party turned into something much larger- and on the day Chara planned to leave for the mountain, it’s not one, but two parties that make off for it’s peak.

Group 1, led by Chara, moves off during the early hours of the morning, seeking to search the furthest part of the mountain by following the river upwards. The path is longer and more winding- however, they are unhampered in when they can travel.

Group 2, led by Ardyn, takes off after the sun has set- due to the needs of multiple members to avoid the sun’s harsh glare. Their route takes them up the closest side of the mountain, which provides an easier path- however, they may only travel whilst the sun is set.

---

OOC: Welcome to the mountaineering open post! Keep in mind the following;

♆ RNG was happily done blind by our wonderful Guzma mun, with our animals RNG'd by Wade Wilson's! Thank them both for all your misfortune.

♆ Prompts have been provided for each group below! Simply toplevel wherever you wish and treat this like a normal open post!

♆ Since each group will generally be in close contact with one another, consider asking others if you can threadjack here and there; nothing says team-building like being a nosy parker.

Comments

BOTH GROUPS - G2 - EXTREME HEAT

[achievementhunter]

At the highest point of the mountain, both groups will find a temple. Cut into the mountain itself, the temple is located inside the peak- practically invisible until one is right at the edge.

Slightly less worn than the Storyteller’s, it appears that it’s location (and distance from the jungle) has allowed most buildings to stay predominantly upright, though the stones of the buildings are so weathered that any inscriptions or architectural delights have been worn away entirely. The largest building contains what might have been a mana pool, once; though the circular pool is empty of water for the time being.

A large door takes up most of the wall opposite the building’s entrance- despite all attempts, both magical and non-magical, it will not open.

Unfortunately, the bare landscape at the peak also leaves everyone vulnerable to the sun's mighty rays; by mid-morning, everyone will be glad of the shelter they've found, since being outside of it for more than twenty minutes at a time is practically unbearable.

Looks like it might be time for some general investigations.

((Another top-level has been provided below to claim items that can be found in the buildings.))

[scourgingstars]

You know who could not possibly be more annoyed by this? If you guessed Ardyn, you guessed correctly. Any reservations he might theoretically have held about temples were very quickly tossed aside, and one could find him in the darker corners of the structure under the pretense of investigating the weathered walls and empty mana pool.

...Strangely enough, despite wearing at least three layers and two scarves, the heat didn't seem to bother him all that much. Weird, that.

[achievementhunter]

Sorry Ardyn the title of Most Annoyed By This Entire Trip has officially been taken. They've dealt with extreme heat, whining humans, being attacked, hallucinations...and now, more heat.

Unsurprisingly, the expression Chara wears as they stalk over to the mana pool is considerably done, dumping down their pack just prior to taking a seat themself.

"Having this be full of water would have been asking far too much, I'm sure."

ota - what else are you gonna do with an unmovable door?

[justribbing]

"Knock-knock."

"Who's there?"

He's been at this for a little while already, just rapping his skeletal knuckles against the silent, unmoving doors and droning out a back-and-forth exchange of jokes (unfunny and funny and all the things in between) with himself playing both parts. Here, in the deep shade of the ruins, there's shelter from the oppressive heat of the sun.

Not that it bothers Sans, who has no skin to burn, and isn't as sensitive to fluctuations of temperature like most others are. Sometimes, the skeleton paces as he speaks, and whenever he does the little LED lights in the soles of his sneakers blink to life, scattering a riot of color across the stone floor.

"Needle," says Sans, answering himself immediately with, "Needle who?"

This one has to be the worst he's told the door so far:

"Needle little help gettin' through this door, pal."

Re: ota - what else are you gonna do with an unmovable door?

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Seeing what Sans is up to, Muffet rolls her eyes and sighs. Oh, well: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.]

Tell me, do other people actually use these jokes too, or are you just making them up out of whole cloth?

[yallstupid]

[Okay, but is anyone else seeing this? Like, seriously. Guzma looks around to make sure he's not the only one actually witnessing a walking, talking skeleton telling knock-knock jokes to the stupidly immovable door. I mean, no one else seems entirely bothered by it (him???), and it looks more like a bigger, plumper Duskull.

In the sickest pair of shoes Guzma has ever seen, damn.

Guzma watches the display a little while from a spot in the shade, because he just cannot truly believe he isn't hallucinating due to the intense heat, but eventually he has to snicker quietly, shaking his head, because oh man. That one was bad. Really, really bad. And he loved it. A+, skele-man, keep going. Maybe whatever's behind the door will get so aggravated it'll open up just to tell him to shut up. That would be the actual best and make this whole stupid expedition worth it 300 percent.]

oh my god sans

[holdmyhand]

Behind him, the sound of some poor, unfortunate soul trying to muffle their laughter echoes against the walls of the worn down building.

"That was really good!!" She says delightfully, pulling her hands behind her back and looking at the wall thoughtfully...

Her eyes light up, and with a clever hand, she knocks against the stone.

"Knock-knock!"

cry for mom and tell her you miss her.

[achievementhunter]

Well the sneakers are new. They're actually surprised he's bothered with that much; can't quite recall if he'd had them at their last meeting. Admittedly, their attention had been on-

Other things.

But now, they're hard not to notice. As the lights flicker across the stone walls, Chara has to wonder if they're simply reading into this too much, or if getting new shoes is a sign of some newfound effort, on his end.
They hope, they really do, that there has been a change in how long he intends to be here.
Still, Sans is free to continue on with his own devices for a few minutes more, going from pacing to knocking, using up what must be a month's supply of bad jokes, finally unleashed upon this godforsaken world.

He reaches up again. Knock knock.

"Who's there?" Chara responds, from the corner they've been sitting in for at least the past ten minutes.

ota

[ohnehalfte]

At current, once inside, Newt's decided to take a bit of a chill pill before going and exploring some more. That might be because of the arduous hike up the mountain, but that might also be because of the eggs he's got cradled carefully within his leather jacket, which he's shed and made into some sort of impromptu nest along with some grass tucked around them to help keep them insulated. He's now tucked inside the ruins, sitting near the entrance but definitely out of the sun with the jacket-nest in his lap, curiously running fingers over the tops of the four eggs he's managed to bring with him.

He'll be up for exploring in a minute, but right now he wants to take a moment to get a good look at these eggs.

Re: ota

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet looks curiously over at his impromptu nest.]

Planning a very large omelet, or are you intending to hatch them?

[onegreeneye]

The islands' weather and his own insensitivity leave Ginko restricted to the shadows during the day, anyway - but with the sun so much stronger up here than it usually is, he finds himself taking extra care to stay pressed as far into the shade as he can. This kind of sun would probably leave him unable to move within less than a minute, and he'd rather not risk that.

However, focused as he is on staying out of the way of the sun, he does take notice of someone nearby. It's not even the eggs that draw Ginko's attention, so much as the fact that he... he recognizes this guy.

Newt looks different, for sure; the last time Ginko saw him, he was all dark plating and glowing blue teeth. Hell, the first time he saw him, he'd already started changing - but not enough for him to be unrecognizable now.

Ginko stands up, steadying himself against the wall of the ruins, and makes his way closer to where Newt is sitting. His tail keeps twitching back and forth behind him; he's not really sure what to expect here, given... everything.

"Newt? You're-- how long have you been here?"

[achievementhunter]

"Feeling clucky, are we?" They wouldn't have taken him for the maternal type, but here's the proof. Chara offers what could be taken as a friendly smile, if not rather strained by a clear lack of sleep and far too much sun.

Don't hog, sir. They'd also like to have a look.

OTA Climbing mountains sure builds up an appetite.

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Is anyone hungry? Because Muffet has carefully spread out a bit of dried fish and seaweed on some broad leaves on the ground in front of her, and is steadily working on assembling a fresh meal.]

[If anyone asks, she's happy to share.]

[solperierat]

[Muffet, you are a blessing. Ed approaches her with a faint grin, setting his bag down and pulling out a few carrots--already washed in the spring earlier--and holding them out in offering.]

Got enough to share?

ota

[takeusback]

What do you think's in there that's got to be locked up so tight?

[ Clementine will ask anyone who approaches. She's holding a bag of rock candy in one hand, a gun in the other, and trying to peep through any cracks between the door and the wall. So far, nothing to see. ]

[yallstupid]

Prob'ly something what don't want us intruding on it, or...something we shouldn't be intruding upon in the first place. [Something nasty, he means. There really are only two reasons Guzma can think of as to why all their effort to pry open or, quite literally, blast open the doors have failed. They don't have right to enter it, or whatever is inside is sealed away for their own good.] Something to ask ol' Cottontail 'bout next we see 'im, yeah?

[Guzma's claimed a bag of oats for himself (and Luna, by default) as well as a hatchet. The latter will come in handy for the plans her has to patch up their house. He'll need these tools to work, even if it'll be slow-going...]

ota!

[holdmyhand]

[ standing at the door is Luna, with Chiffon at her side. The pokemon is sniffing and scratching at the door-- there are sharp, rocky bits surrounding them. ]

There's gotta be a way to open this door...Chiffon, wha'ddya think? Wanna try again? [ the pupper borks! Bork bork! Yes! Around them, decent sized rubble lifts easily into the air, and Chiffon lowers her head. ]

Chiffon! Rock Blast!

[ the rocks collide with such speed that you barely see them leave their floating place in the air!!! It's so quick! Woah! Magic! This continues for a while, until the rocks settle back into the ground and the pokemon lets out a soft yawn. ]

You okay...? Y-yeah, let's take a break.

[ she crouches and pets the tired creature, who licks her arm. >:C MAM I COULD KEEP GOIN' BUT SINCE U INSIST I WILL DO THE STOP. ]

OTA

[souldeterminant]

[Pulling one's mop of hair up into a bun only does so much, when they insist on wearing a long-sleeved shirt. No matter how breathable it is. As the sun rises higher into the sky, Frisk -- who's doubtlessly introduced themself as "Kittu" to all fellow explorers -- seems to have few reservations about keeping their investigations limited to the comparatively cool shadows of the ruins.]

[The mountainous cut-in that accommodates said (i) ruins isn't large, composed mainly of shaded corridors broken apart by harsh licks of sunlight baking across stone. Which is precisely where Frisk can be found, separated from their twin in short intervals: quietly moving through the courtyards and passageways, climbing up the slopes of fallen pillars to see how much height they can cover before the angle becomes too steep. On occasion, they find a building small and relatively intact, and sweep away dust from the inscriptions with one sleeve. If they can get away with it, they'll duck inside for a look.]

[And of course, there's the (ii) mana pool.]

[When one walks into the large, circular building of almost religious pomp, a child in a striped sweater can be found at the edge of the dried pool, kicking their feet idly through the air where emerald-green liquid once might have been. Or perhaps they're at the back of the room, their knapsack slung over a statue that looks as though it had been avian in nature, with widely spread wings that now resemble nothing more than rocky stubs. They're busy laying something across an entire line of dilapidated statues, occasionally reaching into their knapsack to collect more.]

Mana Pool

[yallstupid]

[Suffice to say, Guzma was mostly keeping to the shadows, well away from the majority of the crowd. He's spent enough time around people he's a bit tuckered out by them all. Hell, the whole endeavor itself was a little more than he bargained for, and he's beat... There were some good supplies to be salvaged, sure, but their trek here seemed a bit too much for...what they got, to be fair. A few supplies and a dusty mountain ruin. Questions, left to be unanswered.

He's broken away from the kerfuffle over that locked door - leave it, he thinks; can't be nothing good if it's shut so tight - and made his way over toward where Frisk was, looking at the dusty pillars, weathered with time and long forgotten. Man...he sort of wishes he had a can of spray paint...heh. To liven the dreary place up a bit. It'd make this whole trip all the more worth it, to leave his, ahem, mark on the place.

He spies the little tyke doing...something. Raising a brow, Guzma strolls over curiously, not exactly hiding his presence as his poor, dusty sneakers crunch over the small pebbles of what once may have been parts of the pillars and walls.]

Wat'cha doing there, Gra--uh...kid. [Did their twin tell them already? About the nickname Guzma gave them both? He never really did get their permission (though he didn't exactly seek it out), but still. This one was a little more soft spoken than their silver-tongued sibling.]

ruins

[ohshitsweetflips]

Yeah, obviously Taako is gonna be scoping out buildings his own dang self. What if there's cool shit? The prospect of cool shit, however unlikely, outweighs the idea that the ruins might be full of ghosts or minotaurs or something. Which he also deems very unlikely. Honestly he isn't taking island lyfe all that seriously yet. Besides the heat, which is very real and soulcrushing, making this little side trip all the more appealing.

He spies the kid doing much the same as him, and it takes him all of three seconds to work out who they are. It's not rocket science, is it, there's matching sweaters, if you can't make your own siblingry, storebought is fine. He's met the other one, they're not true twins but he still gets it. Supposedly this is the less 'intense' one, the one he refuses to think of as his counterpart, because not all hardknock children are a direct analogy to his and Lup's life, thanks. Still, less intense sounds good to him.

Less intense or not, he knows better than to do them a startle, and his steps are very deliberate, crunching bits of crumbled stone uncharacteristically audibly. He makes very sure there's no mistaking him for a threat, even though absolutely none of that projected caution makes it out his flippant mouth and into his voice. "Hail and well met, dude. What's good? Any loot?" Please don't summon the stab twin.

ruins

[postictal]

[After the debacle with those...things that belched their greenish hallucinogenic gas, it stands to reason that he'd want to check up on them. And just...in general, it might be better to check on them more. Of the two, they're the one he knows far, far less about.]

[And most of what he does know, he knows by association. Information gleaned because of circumstance, and nothing more.]

[That's no way to get to know anybody.]

[He's managed to locate a hatchet inside. He tests its weight against the palm of one hand, trying and failing to ignore the prickle of unrest that wielding any sort of weapon allows him. Feels wrong, as ever. But what choice do you have, when everything else might very well be out to kill you and there are people that require your aid in staying alive?]

[He lets the hatchet fall to his side when he glimpses them, inclining his head faintly in a nod of greeting.]

Find anything?

ii /grabby hands

[achievementhunter]

[And of course, Chara isn't far away. As Frisk works on putting their tiny offering across the ugly statue of some dumb, long since gone god (or another image of the Storyteller, most like. Which makes the entire thing even more pointless). Stretched out across the floor, they could almost seem peaceful, using their pack as a pillow as they watch Frisk work with listless eyes.

The truth is, they're just exhausted. Things such as complete solitude are impossible- it's all too likely someone else would walk in at any time, but this is as good as it gets. They can trust their Partner to give them the time to defend themself, should the worst occur.

And in that small slice of almost privacy, they have to say something.]

Last night.

Did you breathe in that gas, P...Kittu?

Ruins

[solperierat]

[Frisk isn't the only one nosing around the buildings. It could be simple curiosity, or a search for anything of potential use left behind, but Ed couldn't deny that part of his instincts demanded he explore the buildings. Even old and ruined as they were, he was already in the back of his mind taking note of any confusing passages, where he might be able to confuse a human and come up on them before...]

[But he won't. Hopefully he never will again.]

[Coming out of one shadowed doorway, he's a little surprised to see Kittu climbing up an old stone column, arms held out for balance that reminded him of when he and his siblings would walk along the railroad tracks in the summer. He smiles faintly, and makes his way over to them, though he stays on the ground. Best if someone is around to catch them should they fall.]

Careful, up there. Looking for a better view?

Cloooosed to Lup!

[achievementhunter]

After their conversation with Frisk, things continue to be- boring. Hot, and far too boring. One can only see so many ancient ruins with semi-magical implications before they've seen them all, and in this instance, they're not interested.

Especially after last night.

Which is why inevitably, Chara breaks away from the rest of the group. There's plenty of less interesting temple to see; side chambers and small buildings completely bare of anything of note. The likelihood that they'll have any significant time to themself is infinitesimally thin-- and yet, they're willing to take what they can get.

Tired, haggard, and uncomfortably hot as they are, Chara moves with a combat knife in hand- repetitive sets of motions that are looped over and over, until they're red in the face.

If you can't beat a hallucination-- train, until you can hardly breathe.

as one Chara thread closes, so another one opens

[hellawrath]

These new unknown ruins sitting kinda ominously on top of the mountain are probably a prime spot for choice looting and helpful arcana checks. Shame that Lup's heart isn't really in it today. She's wandering the complex with some heavily broadcast disinterest, snacking on an old bag of oats she found, just generally done with the heat and the dust and the lack of any actual fucking clues for how to get back home. Just a stupid door a Fireball couldn't even scratch. What a bust.

She's also just, really damn tired. Her shift hadn't been over yet when the attack happened, and later, when everything was over and she'd holed up somewhere with Taako, the best she could manage was some fitful dozing until the first light of dawn. Flinching at every rustle, every hoot of some bird, even once the phantom screams and shadows had stopped.

Flinching as she catches movement in one of the chambers out of the corner of her eye. Shit, what? Jolted out of her tired daze, she freezes and stares for a moment until the flashes of green and silver solidify into a familiar sight. And they're really going at it, wow. In this heat, huh? It's not hard to figure out what they're trying to fight and she sighs, shuffling her foot to make herself heard.

It had been a relief to see them acting normal, at least from a distance, leading everyone on once they'd all regrouped in the morning. But she remembers that panicked titter, the frightened child and their sputtering soul just fine. "D'you want some water, pumpkin?" Seems like the cagey bullshit quips are on cooldown too.