caveofsapphires | smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

smaller patch of fading sky [ open ]

WHO: EVERYONE. All PCs thus far will be in this log, through active tagging or implication.
WHAT: THRILLS. SPILLS. Hiking trip toward the Diamond City.
WHERE: The Overworld.
WHEN: Forward-dated to May 1st (Tuesday) through May 7th (Monday).
WARNINGS: May contain violence or other mentions of physical harm. This is not summer camp.
NOTES: More information can be found on the OOC post here. Please read it!

Gathered in the morning haze, Sleepers were brought to the mouth of the Cave with plenty of supplies and equipment. Compasses that would point them toward the City. Backpacks full of clothes and food, medical kits, tents and even weapons. Stun rifles and knives — to fight off any unwanted company, they said. ("Watch out for their bite," Ryan had commented. "Those fuckers are downright feral.") The straight and narrow path would get them there in six days if they kept a good clip. They were sent off just like that. Refusals to leave were met with a wall of guard force officers blocking the entrance back into the cave city. No way to go but forward, unless someone was particularly stalwart about remaining.

From the exterminator's station near the mouth, leaving the Cave was as simple as a short hike upward into the fresh air of the Overworld. Dust and an uncomfortable sort of heat pervaded the atmosphere, light winds stirring up the sand and teasing the meager bits of vegetation that had grown. No matter what direction you looked... it was all wasteland, cracked ground and desolate emptiness. Jutting up from scarred ground were boulders and small spires made entirely of glass and patches of stone; instead of reflecting the harsh sunlight, they seemed to absorb it and only add to the muted loneliness of the atmosphere. As far as the eye could see, there was no life to be found.

With no other option, the Sleepers eventually made their way onward.

Threaded | Flat

That was that. They were kicked out of the Cave with nothing but a compass to follow and no choice to turn around. They could go anywhere they wanted... but where else was there to go? Wind howled quietly in the distance and the sun beat down mercilessly on anything unlucky enough to be above ground. Standing still would be a bad idea unless relative shelter could be found. Outcroppings of glassy rock or large enough scars in the land would suffice. Just don't let yourself get burned.

The day progressed as relatively normal as could be. Walking, talking, breaking for food and a moment's rest, everyone continued onward. At first everything seemed fine. Murmuring of the wind across the ground steadily grew louder, louder and louder until it was soon apparent that it wasn't the wind at all.

It was the ferocious yowl of something gigantic and feline. It was coming for the Sleepers. It was ready to hunt.

What was that? Not the cry of a wild cat, but a gust tugging at your legs and ready to knock you over. It roared from the west, building up speed and ferocity, until all that could be seen was a wall of sand racing toward the group from the far distance.

Run, Sleepers. Run faster than the storm about to engulf you or search for shelter. Make it to the crevasse, or buffer yourself with the scenery, or look for some sort of third option. Do not get caught out alone.

Finding broken down or unidentifiable structures along the way toward the City was not uncommon. More often than not, they were nothing but crumbled concrete or rotted out piles of lumber. This one was different. This structure still stood.

By the end of the day, as day gave way into chilly dusk, the structure stood tall at the edge of vision. It had obviously seen better days, half of the third floor caved in and noticeable even from such a distance: a mansion, standing lone and tall as a testament to time gone by. Maybe an hour out of the way to get to it. That it had not yet fallen into complete ruin indicated that it might make good shelter for the night, should anyone wish to make the trip.

After the excitement of the rest of the week, another day of rest under cloudy skies was well-earned. Too bad no one in the Overworld was willing to take good karma as payment.

Thomp. Thomp. Thomp.

The noise came around midday, when the sun shone its hardest through gaps in the cloud cover, loud and metallic and getting closer with every step. Something was coming, something nearly unidentifiable, something nearly on top of the Sleepers before they even knew it was there.

They came to an impassable canyon. No matter which direction they looked, it only got wider from end to end. Just beyond it, the spires of still-standing buildings in the City were visible in the far reaches of the plain beyond. Their only option would be to walk around and waste precious days to try and find an alternate solution... or go straight through. Those with good hearing might be able to pick out the faint sound of rushing. Water running through the shadowy depths of the wide ravine.

Whatever option the Sleepers would choose, one thing was obvious: it was a setback. They would have to spend more time to get past this obstacle than the Workers could have predicted.

Threaded | Flat

Day 1 (May 1st)