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Owner	Pose
Priscilla	For some, it is their first time seeing Njorun up close. For many, it is not. For all of them, the great tree, the very backbone of the Union, is nothing like they remember.     Just as the great Superfaction was shattered, broken into inchoate pieces in a disastrous cataclysm that left the Multiverse almost unrecognizably changed, so has Njorun, and the area around it for the span of an entire world. The impossibly massive tree's fall and impact with the earth had generated so much energy that what must be millions of square miles have been levelled of anything of worth, and thousands have been turned into a molten crater, glassed by the tremendous force, and shot through with rivers of lava where the earth's crust was entirely broken through. Frankly, it looks like a vision from hell, choked in ash and fire, with not even the ruins of New Washington in sight.     Still, it hadn't managed to totally destroy the world-tree. Not even close. Monolithic pieces of it litter the miles-deep crater, both the broken boughs and shattered pieces of their micro-continents, and the endless roots twisted up from underground, now exposed to the burning, choking air. Unavoidable, is the overpowering smell of rot and decay. Njorun had one provided for the Union with its infinite energy of growth, but now, as a dead thing, only turns that towards the near-perpetual disintegration of its incredible mass. Mixed with the lava are small lakes of putrefied plant material, bubbling with who knows what. The plant's flesh itself is coming apart like a frayed quilt, where a million shades and species of bark, and stranger things, show as patchwork in its decaying, de-unified surface.     People have explored it, and never come back. Even after Njorun's personified sacrifice, it could only save everyone from its death throes, not stop them from getting killed on their own terms. This is to be the successful first; a team of crack Elites from the Multiverse's newest major power, and lead by its leader.     Finding a way in is less difficult than one would imagine. Navigating down the crater can only truly be done by air, but the Concord has more than enough resources and skilled pilots to pull it off. It is one of the splintered boughs that is chosen. Specifically, where the branch had snapped in half, exposing the tree's marrow, and the sprawling cluster of corridors inside of it, like the honeycombs of a beehive.
Kushiko	Kushiko had never seen Njorun up close. She never saw New Washington either, but that's neither here nor there. The Union nor Confederacy had individuals worth her time to visit directly, save for a few, and they themselves scarcely were found there. She did hear about the Ring of Philosophy though, that was a neat thing. In the aftermath of the Event, Kushiko and a few other Tenno at the behest of the Lotus had gleaned as much as they could without risking themselves, and now the time had come to investigate fully, as the Concord had sought to do. Something that roused the exploratory, whimsical natures of Nova within Kushiko's mind hive as it were, that persona becoming all the more prevalent. Ordis was one of the pilots in this instance--the Liset was an able craft to drop Kushiko's Warframe in, but with a bit of resource expenditure, he was also co-opted into the systems of another ship and despite the 'not right' element of the Cephalon? He was a REALLY good pilot, being a construct of light with reaction times that were simply beyond normal organics. Shame the Liset couldn't carry much more than 2-3 people though beyond her Warframe. Suffice to say, however, her sensors and the Lotus were very much on a 'collect /all the data/' kind of spree.
Kazusa Ujikane	Just seeing the blasted hellscape that is Njorun's gravesite is almost soul-crushing for Kazusa. Brought on through Heaven or Hell as someone who has fair knowledge of the former headquarters of the Union, she's come with her cards in her purse, wearing a decently rugged outfit. And she's already regretting it, just seeing what's become of the place. She has a lot of fond memories there.     For once, the nerdy girl has nothing to say, her hand resting silently on her purse.     In fact, she looks like she's about halfway to crying, looking out the window of whichever transport she's ended up on. Sniff.
Metal Man	The Union, Metal was in the Multiverrse when they formed, he was there for the gate wars before it and the age of chaos before that. The world changed, Metal knew that but still ot think the era of nightmare wars might finally be over? It as too much for him to hope such eras are over for now he takes part in the newst one moving to follows up after others and he's brought a few drones with him. "Heh, last time I went to a Union HQ was to help break it but that was a lng time ... ago damn what the hell happend in here...I'll send the drones to scout off ahead." Metal Man looks uneasy. "I got a bad feeling bout this..." HE then looks to Kazusa for a moment he actually seems concerned but he's not sure what to say to a former enemy...
Haguro	There's a quiet, uncomfortable grunt coming from Haguro as the vessel she's on gets close enough to what remains of Njorun that it's easy enough to see the damage that's been done to it. It's not so much that she had any true sentimental attachment to the place as it is the scope of the destruction that's taken place with no true understanding of what happened. The unknown is an uncomfortable thing, but the boat ghost is about as ready as she'll ever be to start investigating what had happened.      Without scanners or fancy radars of her own, though, Haguro's opted for a more straightforward approach: Lots and lots of disposable cameras. Would the flash even work here? Only one way to find out! "I spent most of my time in the seaport rather than here, but... There were some good places here. Good people. Do you think we'll find anything today?" She asks nobody in particular while intently snapping pictures of the bubbling plant lava, the fleshy chunks, and even the giant crater.
The Kid	The Kid is here too, and he's come prepared. He's not much fussed with the fanctions of the past, Rucks said it wasn't worth getting to know them. He did agree on some level, they had some weird ideas. Not that the new ones don't, but the Concord makes a little sense to him.     He is unwilling to voice these thoughts though. Mainly because flying in a transport and not just riding the winds is a new, alien experience for him, and he looks as if he's about to puke. He reclines in his seat, his gear occupying the one next to him. He's loaded up this time, with his hammer, machete, repeater pistols, shield, and a satchel full of explosives.     His head lolls to the side to regard Haguro. "We better. Don't feel up ta' feelin' like this and endin' up wit' nothin' ta' show fer it." Boy he's really looking green around the gills.
Tesla Armadia	Tesla Armadia may not have as many resources at her disposal as she once did, but dropships for transport into potentially hazardous locations were still a very useful commodity. Though the wrecked nature of the ruins makes finding a reasonably stable point to set down a trying task in its own right. This venture was going to be of possibly exceptional danger of Elite levels, so as she walks out of the craft Tesla is mostly alone. Her only companion is the small robotic girl sitting on her shoulder, Saiga holding a scanning device of her own between the two manipulator arms that extended over the Shinki's shoulders. A low whistle escapes the technopath's lips. "I was expecting devestation, but the sheer level of ruination in the wake of the Events is staggering all the same."
Yuuki Kuran	Kuran Yuuki wasn't present at Njorun at the fall of things during the awful reality quakes, but had been in the great tree a number of times. She remembered the way the sun-dappled branches spread out over the landscape as infinitely as if they were the landscape itself.     Observing that the giant tree was a landscape unto itself was not wrong, and remained not wrong even in the state of decay and death. The landscape of devastation, however, was not so pleasing to the senses as the previous incarnation of life and vitality.     Stepping off the air transport, Yuuki frowns, covering her mouth and nose. "That... smell is not very appealing." She murmurs to nobody in particular, pulling out a handkerchief and holding it to her nose. The flaws of excellent senses, especially smell, is that when something stinks, the effect is magnified.     And, unlike a derpy puppy, she isn't drawn to the rich scents of decomposing things like a dumpster. She is like a derpy puppy in other ways, but not that one.     "Does anyone have... a desire on the diretion we go?"
Winedark Archer	Sitting inside a vessel, watching through a small window and having to talk to other people on the way who you may hate, is not a fun thing. It's also terrible for scouting. Therefore, one of the vessels has someone riding /on top of it/, bow at the ready and eyes keen to watch for anything that may be of importance. Winedark Archer volunteered for this expedition after his recent announcement that he is going to seek to build a new kingdom, and Njorun is both the type of mission that he can prove himself on, and that he can get the resources he needs for his conquest. Those winds are a hell of a pain, though.
Priscilla	Priscilla is swift to answer, stepping forth from one of the Concord's finest (and most heavily armoured) transports. The earth cracks and smoulders a little beneath her bare feet, and glowing embers rapidly cool to black in very close proximity. "Our object of contention elsewhere is the idea that the Union's database may hath somehow survived Njorun's downfall, if only in fragments. If others art scattered across the myriad worlds, some greater portion may existeth here. And thou shouldst knoweth well where the greatest repository of Elite data was stored anywhere outside its deepest vaults."     It speaks to something that this is one of those days that Priscilla has abandoned the royal regalia and dressed in her thick, fluffy furs of iconic old; marginally more protective, and easily mended. The landing site is very close to the titanic debris of the broken branch, easily large enough to build a city subway grid inside, and so there is only a little need to pick over jagged rocks and protrusions formed of molten stone and glass, before arriving at its dark, hollow interior.     The corridor closest to the ground is doable with a short, sheer climb, a grappling hook, small super jump, practice parkour, or the like. Easy enough to carry someone up. "However, there is no refuting it. The scale of the catastrophe is beyond prior imagination. The Union and Confederacy alike didst always defy the scope of one's mind, but the scars their demise hast left art perhaps greater, and more subtle, in other ways."     Priscilla pulls up a map. She used to be a Unionite, after all. One who did actually spend a lot of time at Njorun, before dedicating herself to her homeworld. It's a fancy holographic type, that everyone can see, if they haven't already downloaded their own. "I believeth we shalt find something of note, most assuredly. Whether it is what we seek, or what one wouldst wish to encounter . . ." she trails off, consulting the layout.     Priscilla leaps adroitly up the sheer face, landing atop the short cliff of rotting wood without incident. Peering into the interior however, one finds it shrouded in pitch black, as all the light systems have failed. All that is terribly visible up ahead is a colossal, armoured bulkhead, designed to prevent invasion, but ironically never used before the Union somehow destroyed itself; a mystery the Concord hopes to solve.
Kazusa Ujikane	Kazusa looks Haguro's way and gives a faint nod, still looking down. "...I hope so. I... I wanna know what happened. Why." She has little else to say right yet, but after getting a lift from Nova, the card-user falls in close to Priscilla, a thoughtful look on her face. "If it's something that would have survived the fall, I, uh... I think the Ring of Philosophy's our best bet. If we can find it." She turns to the rest of the group, a few of whom weren't Union, and adds, "It was our training area, I guess. I never used it, but it was made for Elites to be able to go all out. Probably had a bunch of different protective layers inside and out."
Kushiko	The inability to actually properly smell things was a blessing and a curse. In this situation, very much a blessing, though there was no way /not/ to just /feel/ that it's something disgusting. The Liset landing craft of the Tenno that accompanied the craft down to their landing position brought itself to a hover, the underside cylinder revolving for the humanoid-shaped recess to allow for Kushiko to disembark as well. Nova leapt, pushing off from Liset and somersaulted, energy-ribbon fluttering behind her as she landed by the others to listen to the debrief. As to the means of getting up safely, while Nova certainly could parkour her way up there, she simply gestures, lights flickering on her fore arm and a vaguely rectangular, lilac-shaded energy vortex appears, a wavering line tracing from it, to their next point for Kazusa to use--or anyone else--before whisking through it. Any momentum through Nova's portals are carried over, which could be felt by those using it. Nonetheless, she's going over the layout as well, having synced her systems with the maps provided by Priscilla. Her projected voice pulses faintly, <<"All internals look down, despite the lack of real use for this... thing.">> She activates a wide beam flashlight, casting some light into the darkness--carefully, mind you as she pulls out a twinbarreled shotgun of some elegant craft. Floating aside her is another source of light, a U-shaped drone by the look of it as it scans and processes the area.
Tesla Armadia	Tesla Armadia makes a few adjustments to her own HUD. One is to upload a version of the map Priscilla has provided. The other is to adjust for the bad visual conditions, seeing as most if not all of the lighting systems are out. A small amount of light is provided by the small lamps on Saiga's rig, but for the most part they're relying on sensors rather than standard visuals. "Well, we are not going to get anywhere just standing here gawking at the destruction." Tesla activates one of the adjustable pods in her armor, reconfigering it into a grappler line and launching it up to pull herself onto the next ledge. "My structural scans can't make heads or tails out of why some portions are intact and others are not," mutters the small robot girl. "Considering the bizarre nature of the events, it is likely they do not coincide with standard applications of physics," Tesla replies while she's climbing up. "Any libraries or other information storage facilities they had would be optimal locations to investigate. Such depositories would be the most wise to shield against keter level occurances."
The Kid	Once Kid is on the ground and breathing the bracing, searing volcanic air, his constitution rapidly improves. His gear is put back on, checked and double-chcked before he sets out, striding confidently over the jagged volcanic rock and glass formations that have formed.     Looking to Priscilla, he casts his eyes around and nods, once. "Thought the Calamity was bad... this is another level. Reckon somethin' like this," He taps his foot against the great fallen tree. "Was jus' beggin' for trouble. Rippling Walls should be as big as it gets."     At the sight of the sheer rock face, he produces a rope and his War Machete. Tying one end of the former around the handle of the latter, he steps back, pulls back him arm and launches the blade at the top. Be it credit to the blade's sharpness, the Kid's throwing arm, or a combination of both, the weapon holds fast as the young man uses the dangling rope to scale the wall.     Once at the top, he secures it to a hunk of volcanic rock for others to use, and presses forward. "Reckon that if no one came back, might be that some frightful critters have set up shop." So, as they march inside, Kid takes point with his Bullhead Shield raised. Now and again, he slaps the flat of his War Machete against its brass bull face, generating noise to pull anything that might be nearby. Better to fight 'em head-on instead of getting ambushed, he reasons.
Haguro	The mention of foul stenches has Haguro somewhat grateful for the fact that she's a spirit and not a human that needs to actually breathe. Her curiousity does get the better of her, but only for a moment before she gives up on trying to sniff anything again. "I hope so, too... Erm. Are you feeling alright? I think I saw some bags around..." The Kid gets a concerned look, and after packing an extra barf bag just in case, it's time to disembark!      As she makes her way inside with the rest of the group, the boat ghost continues snapping pictures of the corridors, the destruction, and even the gaps that would need to be scaled or jumped over. After a few moments of hesitation and making sure she has proper form, Haguro makes the climb relatively easily with the aid of the rope and only losing one of the spare cameras to the abyssin her haste to get up.      "Perhaps... Mm. There's a lot of ground to cover, so I'll bring back whatever I can carry or..." She taps on the cameras, and starts trying to make her way through all the disconnected chunks of what used to be the headquarters. After a quick scan of the maps provided by Priscilla and at Tesla's suggestion...      "I haven't been here that often, and I don't know how... Um. How much has changed since Njorun fell. I did go to the library a few times, though, to get acclimated to the Multiverse. It might be this way..." Some of the area is vaguely recognizable at the very least, so Haguro starts heading for the Library as directed! Or at least where she hopes the Library would be.
Yuuki Kuran	Unlike many here, Kuran Yuuki doesn't have a neat heads-up display, or special MACHINE POWERS to handle mapping. She doesn't even have a special wrist computer or anything like that! She has something better than that. The tool of CHAMPIONS, Sam Fisher, and teenage girls around the multiverse - a smartphone. It's a pretty nice one, with location features. And apps! She retrieves said phone from her pocket, swiping around before turning it sideways and squinting. "Oh, huh. I should update my map with yours, Priscilla..." She asides, before setting that to update. It'll be hell on her mobile data, awful.     As people begin the climb, she avails herself to the portal provided, stepping through it with a few springy steps before glancing towards Kazusa. "I agree that the library may hold more information on what transpired, or at least some records - would the Ring hold that sort of thing? I thought it was for fighting and holding symposiums on differences, not... a repository. I didn't spend any time there, I admit!"     She angles herself towards where her phone points, following the built-in compass and ignoring the burning smell of her shoes. "If you'd like to go there, though, I'd recommend finding a buddy! This whole place is dangerous, now..."     "Miss Armadia, I'll lead the way then?" She offers Tesla before toddling off and bumblefucking her way towards the Library area, eyes glued to her smartphone screen and not her surroudings.
Kazusa Ujikane	"No, I'm not gonna leave the group if all of you are headed elsewhere, I know better," Kazusa replies, laughing a weak little self-effacing laugh. "It's just... the thing had a holodeck kinda feature. It could create just about any kind of environment. So I figure it had at least some kinda access?"
Metal Man	Metal Man is silent now as he send sout his drones to scout he knows they are at risk but it's better than someone with a mind being lost. HE moves on remaining silent as he follows the group in there's a pfainful sense of loss though. MEtal Man sees that kazusa is handled and he moves to bounces along. What happened the fall of the feds made more sense. They built their base out of actual Hubris and it tried to kill them for it he moved along and pauses to KAzusa. "Sounds like an idea if we could recover tech or even better combat data? That would be a hell of a score." He nots then he moes along but he then opens a comm to Tesla. <<Old friend something bugs me about the fall, something doesn't sit right about it at all and it troubles me I don't think ... things are over.>> The Kid and Haguro is noted as Metal bounds along throught he ruins. "Heh we could try to find the pay vaults, lot of holiday pay didn't go out..."
Winedark Archer	As he joins the group, Winedark Archer listens silently to everyone's opinions and choices. He has no knowledge of Njorun, and is therefore going to allow the former Unionites to discuss it. It seems the choice is between the library and the Ring of Philosophy. The library sounds interesting, as it would absolutely have information...but the description of the Ring of Philosophy appeals to him. As does the vault. "I am heading towards either the Ring of Philosophy or the Vaults. Those who want to head to the Library have already chosen so. Therefore, as we should not split ourselves three-ways unless we deem we can handle it, we should choose between those now." As he speaks, Winedark Archer is looking for something to climb up and get a birds-eye view of the area, especially of hostiles. "If you cannot decide, I will decide for you."
Priscilla	"Thou art correct." Priscilla says to Kazusa. "The Ring of Philosophy is impossibly well shielded, to contain the bouts of Elite combatants, and furthermore, contains vast reams of data related to their abilities, to accurately model them in simulation. It is our second best option, and by far less of a risk than the first."     Nova turning on the military-grade flashlights reveals a lot. The inside of the corridor, heavily reinforced and well travelled as it is, has not fallen to nearly the same state of decay as the outside. The once-immortal wood at least remains cohesive, and the walkways only mildly wet with biological corrosion. The scans coming from Helios reveal another story though. The biomass is complete and utter nonsense. The further one scans outwards, the more it becomes an impossible, blended mishmash of plants that match to a million other worlds, and rightfully should never be able to exist in the same space. It's not an 'exotic' effect, of magic or science. It is /outright impossible/ by all known mechanics of the Multiverse.     "However, Lady Armadia makes a fair point as well." Prisclla concludes, currently oblivious to the data being streamed to Nova. "The Infinite Library is perhaps partly sound if only by its size, but we cannot quite rely upon its fragile medium of storage to be complete. If she wouldst wish, I authorize it as a secondary target."     The sounds of the Kid's shield banging echo tremendously around the lengthy hall, sized for members of the Union as large as Autobots, or larger still. As he does, the wood creaks and groans unnervingly in reply, as if it is about to suddenly give out, only to die down between each beat. It's as if it's responding in some way it shouldn't, though it is clearly dying. Haguro finds that mundane flash or low-light cameras work fine. The darkness is not supernatural, merely symbolically cloying. The photos aren't of much use right now, instead better used with reference material later.     Some of the group go Library-wards, which is a fork off of the corridor being used. They come to a similar bulkhead as the Ring-wards group does. Both are as massive as the passages are wide, easily large enough to keep a combat mecha out, and sealed tight, with their instrumentation busted, though perhaps their computers intact, if one cares to pray. That means no access codes will open them, and they are sealed shut by reams of powerful super-science materials and top-grade protection magic.     Oddly, the two don't seem to agree with one another anymore. The metals and ceramics that are meters thick seem to ripple and squirm as magical currents pass through them, and looking closely, the physical materials are pitted with small holes where some mystical residue has /bled/ out and hardened, like punctures into its 'skin'. It's mildly disturbing, how an inanimate bulkhead manages to look like a parasite-ridden corpse.
Tesla Armadia	"I would rather confirm its contents as retrievable or not, than miss the oppritunity," Tesla replies with a nod. "Keep in contact between groups... just in case." She turns and starts down the other passage. Though has little issue with allowing someone else to take the lead trekking through the wrecked corridors. It is a usual state of affairs for her, just in most cases its one of her creations rather than another Elite. <<It is another remember of how little we actually know of HOW the Multiverse actually works,>> she replies to Metal in the meantime. <<And when you know little of the workings, it is even harder to understand how such a system breaks.>> Eventually they come across another one of the bulkheads that... it's hard to describe. It's clearly being distorted in some way, almost painful to look at, but appears to still be stable and locked in place as well. "This.. could be a bother." The controls are busted, but that's just an external mechanism. Tesla holds up one hand towards the bulkhead as she focuses, trying to probe with her technopathic powers and see what state the computer hardware is in. If anything is still active she might be able to figuratively strongarm it open.
Kushiko	For what it's worth, it's not just the Lotus, but Ordis going over the datafeeds as provided by Kushiko and by extension, her sentinel Helios. It's because of this that Ordis speaks up with a screeching halt, <"That's just utter /*bullshit*/ there, that shouldn't even be allowed!"> A pause. <"Scan reveals verified 'impossible' configuration of plant life. More analysis is required. Time required: /nope/."> As the others begin to gather, Nova turns her faceless dome face towards the other--the lilac-pink energy funnels glimmering faintly amidst the dark that lay ahead, a slight bob of her head towards those whom she knows; Kaz, she thinks she remembers? But never got to really get to know some of those here before the event. Kushiko's voice projection begins anew: <"There might be some system links here, I mean combat data is really good, plus I can use some of my tools here to assimilate the data for use really efficiently if it is what you all say it is."> Simaris scanners, ho! <"But man, this place is... crazy. It's chaotic. It's everything and nothing all at once it's..."> The female voice trails off. Those now closer to her would note that when she speaks, it's a voice without present, not coming from the frame at all. Possibly jarring. <"It's pretty fascinating to me, but that just may be my whims towards the unknown coming to the surface,"> she admits. The Ring did interest her from even before the Event, so why not? <"But moving on, the system links here and the hardened physical element make this a good point to possible get access to other systems. Least that's what the Lotus is telling us."> Speaking of data, she'll dump as much as she can of the scans from Helios into available sectors for the Concord to sift through. A cursory summary does become available to everyone here via linkup if they are so inclined. Speaking of data, Nova proceeds along further into the Ring's section. Helios is going to keep up the scanning, but now even Nova herself is conducting directed scans, actually looking for a system interface point. Along the way, she releases a wave of light, antimatter fueled but remarkably non-volatile to illuminate further into the Ring's section that she and the rest of the group are proceeding into.
Kazusa Ujikane	Though the leader of the Concord is a bit more distant than she used to be, she still feels like the safest person here to Kazusa; perhaps due to the familiarity of having /been/ Pris, sort of, at one point. As they walk, she thinks of something; the rest of the group will be treated to the sight of Kazusa pulling out one of her cards, holding it out to the Queen of Lordran, and asking a quick question. After a moment, the face of the card shimmers - and takes on an image of Priscilla's signature scythe and sword. There's a grateful look from the smaller girl after that.     When she sees the surface of the Ring's entryway, though, that perturbed frown is back again. "This is... this is terrible. This door used to be so nice. Why's it like this now?" She seems to debate about something - then reaches into her purse, pulls out a handkerchief, and wraps it around her hand.     Then raps on the door. Wham wham wham. "Hey, open up! Computer, open up, this is Kazusa Ujikane, requesting access!" The thing looks like it's completely nonfunctional, but... well, she's gotta try.
Haguro	After swapping to another disposable and putting the used one away for secure keeping and use later, Haguro finds herself headed in the right direction with the Library crew to find... More vaguely fleshy walls? Or perhaps not walls, but the holes in the bulkhead are certainly creepy enough that the cruiser takes a moment to snap several pictures of those as well.      "Do you think this is all alive? It... I mean, it shouldn't be, but if Njorun never actually died and just turned into this..." She trails off even as she says that, the thought of it all making her look quite uncomfortable. Haguro doesn't even attempt to figure out the controls, letting Tesla handle that and just taking a batch of pictures of that for good measure.      Eventually, though, her curiousity does get the better of her. "Do you think we should bring some of this material back? It might..." trailing off again, Haguro moves over to where one of the larger small holes is, peering at it and reaching out cautiously to poke at it with her finger. She retracts her finger quickly if she can, and if it doesn't starting eating or injuring her in some way, she'll even try to pry some of that mystical residue off.
Yuuki Kuran	Yuuki reaches the festering wall and stops, BLOCKED as if she had hit...         ... a wall?     She nearly bumps her head into it, having her eyes locked on her phone screen, but stops short and moves to consider the barrier. The computer is disabled, and the access she would normally have to the Infinite Library 'on the fritz'. But she has allies, even if she was dimly aware that brute force may not avail the group. "Mister Kid, Miss Haguro, perhaps you could work together to find a weak point in the door's construction exposed by the decay, or perhaps a workaround, while Metal Man and Miss Armadia work on the computer access angle? That way..." She beams a big smile at her group. "We can come at the problem from multiple angles and reach a conclusion twice as fast. Metal Man, if you aren't able to connect, your strong weapon may be useful for finding a structural weakness. I am not /sure/ brute force will avail us, but one can never know..."
The Kid	The Kid tenses with every ominous groan that follows his attention-grabbing clang. He knows those kinds of groans, and they usually precede a total collapse. But the branch holds, so he nods and says, "No critters here. Ready to move on."     He goes along with the Library team, because why not? He's not exactly the knowledgeable sort about the Union or books, so he'll only be muscle either way. He stares at the great, twisted bulkhead, noticing the holes and the like. "Has someone been drillin' in?" he asks, ignorant of what is going on here.     He peeks into a hole, trying to get a measure of how thick the whole thing is, before checking his satchel of bombs. "Dunno... this might be enough given all these holes in it. But it'll be big 'n loud and I only got one shot. So if any of ya got a better idea, let's try those first I think. In the meantime..."     Now the Kid has dug out some parchment and a quill. He's... sketching out a map? A new one, with notes on potential hazards. The old man has been drilling him on this stuff lately, since the Wilds don't collapse as easily. Relevant, up-to-date mapping is important for any later excursions, he said.
Metal Man	<<With this one, the one before... we knew more. You and the doc are some of the only people I'd trust to figure it out. We're lucky we signed on with the concord. I think it's the best deal out there in this world as it is now.>> At first Metal Man had been spooked about Priscilla being in charge but that quickly faded as again and again she's proven herself. Witht hat he keeps mounting along like a Ninja with his agility as he goes. "Right need me to force it? My Blades can cut through about anything given enough time. I'll see what I can do first I'm going to try to connect and hope Wiremu didn't leave any little suprisies in the code." With that Metal Will attempt to plug in and access the system to see if he can get it open first. "So any ideas Tessla?"
Priscilla	Tesla is in luck, or rather, Priscilla is in luck for bringing her. The instrumentation is absolutely destroyed. Fragile screens, scanners, buttons, and voice controls meant for people to actually use, didn't survive the impact at all, nor did the systems connected to them. Only by reaching out with her mind, can she directly zero interface command the core systems, and trigger the door release. If Metal Man so wishes, he can likely find a way to plug in somewhere, but most of what he'll get is what the proper access codes would be to open these things normally. Either way, massive clamps and locks disengage, pulling apart in intricate sequence, as the stuck emergency state relaxes. However, the blast door only opens partially, before jamming shut, exposing a sliver not large enough to squeeze through, as what look like decomposing strings of metal bind them together, like some kid of inorganic viscera from someone being split in half. It doesn't look massively sturdy, but it's enough to keep the door mostly shut.     The holes, for the most part, are just corroded or dissolved into the material. Poking one's fingers in often just scrapes the roughly textured interior. Every so often though, the particular spell leaking out stings or burns from its raw energy. The residue comes away easily enough, with some chipping and hacking, also useful for later analysis. The Kid can tell they surely aren't drill marks; more like popped blisters than anything. They're shallow enough, mostly a finger length, and the bulkhead is near as thick as the length of a semi-truck. The Union's grotesquely bloated budget might sink in a little.     Sadly, the computer is silent; as dead, if not moreso, than the great tree in which it resides. No voice answers Kazusa. Only her own, lonely echo. Priscilla has little problem passing her the card though. She did it once before, and it turned out alright. One extra thing will appear on the card, however; a rather ominous looking draconic eye, looking through a cross-shaped split in the background.     The wave of glowing anti-matter has quite a ways to go, suffusing the terrain with its chosen energy colour. It finds little of note; yet. With it in place though, Priscilla decides to compound the effort, searing the door with the imprint of her conquered gaze, until the baleful mark is scorched into the anti-matter coated metal. Then, she takes on her full size, and strikes it with a blinding flash of her gigantic scythe. The stacking damage multipliers cause it to explode inwards, shearing a narrow, but passable rent through to the end, if one wants to crawl near the end. More strangely, not all of the damage can be accounted for due to brute force. Some of the metal /bleeds/ sap and necrotic rot, which might be sensible had she struck the wood. Something weird has traded places here.
Tesla Armadia	"... I think I've got something," Tesla replies with that slightly off tone she has when she's focusing more on her powers. "All the external connections are broken, but the mechanics are still.. functional to a degree..." Followed by some murmuring under her breath that's hard to make out, but almost sounds like she's trying to... sooth the machinery as she narrows her focus on the locking mechanism. She must of gotten something to listen though, as the great bulkhead starts to rumble open as machinery creaks back to life. Only to stop again as the bizarre materials algamated with it catch and bind, holding it at no more than a crack open. "Hold on." Saiga jumps down from Tesla's shoulder and scampers up to the bulkhead, getting down on her hands and knees at the edge of the opening. "It's too narrow for me to crawl under, but." The tiny robot shifts her position to shine the worklamps of her rig into the gap. "Metal Man! Can you toss your blades into the gap to slice that... icky stuff trying to hold it shut? Or if any of the rest of you have sharp things that can reach in there."
The Kid	Well, just getting those fancy machines to open the doors for you is probably the much better plan. "Good job," the Kid says to Tesla... just before the doors jam. "Figures," he mutters, stepping up to the crack and examining the strings of metal. This is some simple engineering, something the Kid is familiar with. "If I know my metal and this ain't some crazy mashup metal, this stuff should come apart pretty easy. Trouble is, there's a lot of it all the way up." He points with his finger up along the gap in the doors.     "If I had a boost, maybe I could cut through it all with the Machete." He turns to look at everyone. "Or if one of ya could shoot blades, that'll make it real simple." And the Tesla brings up Metal Man. "Well damn, there ya go. Cut through it all Metal Fella, that should do the trick. If not, we're back at blowin' through it." He jiggles his satchel to carry the point."
Haguro	Haguro toughs out her work on the holes and residue despite the stinging and burning sensation, biting her lip and trying not to tear up too much even as she slips the material into her pocket for analysis later.      Analysis by someone else, that is. Probably. Yuuki's suggestion draws an intrigued "ohhh" from the boat ghost and she nods quickly, turning her attention to the now-unlocked-and-stuck door. "Understood, Miss Kuran. I don't think blowing it open is our best option yet, but..." Her wrist-mounted gun turrets wriggle briefly as if emphasizing that she does indeed have them as a fallback plan, and then she starts looking towards the stuck parts of the door now.      "This metal is... No, tihs doesn't make sense at all. Is this made of living metal...?" The irony Haguro saying that despite being a personified metal ship isn't lost on her, but even she knows enough basic science that this is just strange. If the metal is rotting, though, then parts of it should be weaker! Tesla's and The Kid's suggestion gets another impressed "ahhh" from the boat ghost, and she steps back to let Metal Man have at it! In the meantime, though, she switches her explosive shells out for non-explosive dummy rounds just in case.
Yuuki Kuran	Yuuki hears the locks disengage thanks to TESLA "Solvin' Problems" Armadia, but even disengaged the door doesn't budge much. She frowns lightly, before nodding to Metal Man. "It appears things are up to you - but Haguro, Kid, we may need to avail ouselves to 'elbow grease' - leverage. If we can pry open one door enough to gian egress, that would be ideal."     She supposes she could try applying Normal Girl powers to it, but if Kid's caddybag of weapons had a nice sturdy weapon, or Metal Man's Metal Blades proved effective, that would be unnecessary. "Tesla, Haguro, if you could take more samples for later study? This /certainly/ wasn't how it was before. Perhaps sampling the different..." She glances at the rotten plant matter. "... biomes? would provide us with a good baseline for what happened. I think everything we're seeing has a value in discovering the cause of the calamity."
Kazusa Ujikane	Of course, Kazusa is very careful to take a step or two back and give Priscilla some room. That's one hell of an attack, and she can feel the backlash from that eye even behind the towering Queen. But it's as much a case of seeing how the metal reacts as it is how Priscilla acts, that finally galvanizes the bookworm. If this place /bleeds/ like that, if it's been so drastically changed...     ...what will the Ring itself be like?     "...by the card I choose, I stand as a hero," she murmurs, holding it up. "The Cutthroat."     Soft though the incantation is, the transformation is showy. It dissolves into a wave of white sparks that passes over Kazusa... and showers outward, building and growing and flowing. A bright fountain of magical sparks, like a firework or the like. When it fades, Kazusa has changed... and /grown/.     Now a good 14 feet or so tall, tall enough to come up to at least Priscilla's bicep, and dressed identically... no, not just dressed. She has the scales, the tail, even the mismatched eyes, and the shade of her hair has become a perfect match. It's as if Kazusa were Priscilla, while still being Kazusa.     "I shalt lead the way, if none object. Mine recollection of this place remains strong."
Kushiko	<"... it's as if it's alive."> Kushiko murmurs softly in regards to the inward explosion. The bleeding sap from metal. <"Intermingled? Ugh."> Nova shakes her head momentarily as she takes a closer 'look' so to speak, the light diodes on her helmet flickering faintly. The technorganic frame is entirely willing and capable of crawling forward, though she does look at attempting to set up a portal, gathering antimatter energy to fold space a little bit--she'll go forward, and connect a 'tether' once she manages to reach the end. Her 'crawl' being her sliding forward through the space so others do not actually have to crawl all the way through. Nonetheless, once she's through the passage, she'll actually fire up another Molecular Prime, releasing a new radial wave of Void-fueled antimatter energy, a small concussive *blmf!* audible as she lifts her hand up, and 'throws' the energy down to blossom outwards. Frankly, she'll wait for Kazusa to lead the way, though she'll follow /pretty/ closely--she's fragile versus the other frames she can employ, but as it stands, /so much data/ to be explored, it's almost imposible for her not to want to go ahead at some point here. <"... this is kinda cool,"> Kushiko admits, regarding the newly grown Kaz-Prisc that has come forth. In either event, back to scanning and keeping her Sancti Tigris primed and ready.
Metal Man	Metal Man does not know how much progress he'll get with this but he's doing his best to try and get through it. He noties the easy ways in didn't make it through but he's doing as best as he can. He does plug in but there's not much left but he attemps to get the doors open and then they frek out a bit for a moment. 5R "What the slag?!" He just kinda scares but it looks like they could brace the door. "Humm we could use those to brace the doors, if it comes to it I could attempt to hold it Or ... that's the ticket." He'll summon a blade and moves to throw it as he was suggestd to he best he can cut through it. "These blades are as sharp as my world's tech can make em." Hopefully his idea works or if not it's a good try at least. "Watch this." He throws, here's hopng he doesn't mess it up.
Priscilla	The informatively named Metal Blade slices clean through the semi-liquid metal 'entrails' snapping them off with oddly vine-like effectiveness, where they slump and hang limp, rather than splash. He can't get all of them with a single blade, but enough break that the remaining strands can't resist the opening mechanism, and they slowly fray apart, opening the bulkhead with a juddering clunk.     Beyond that is more of the same. The passages of Njorun are long and winding. Not much of note breaks it up, save the odd capsule car, now stuck in pools of rotting gunk, or rusted supernaturally quickly on crackling electrical lines that, by rights, should have no power. One such landmark is a teleporter pad, now covered in what looks to be fresh, rapid growth, that tangled together and then wilted immediately, into a hard cage of dead wood.     Only eventually do they hear the trickle of water, and shortly thereafter, come to what looks like a river, only cut into a narrow, well-squared channel in the ground, which transitions into hard tiling, like a special boundary. The sharp divide between branch and man-made interior feels wrong, as if the two places had smashed together. Perhaps the building fell from above and crushed through the branch below, mashing it to the corridor. Perhaps something /weirder/ happened.     No matter what one chooses to believe, the river is clearly that which encircled and wove through the Infinite Library, back in the day. The one that existed so someone lost didn't literally die of thirst before they were found, and something they could follow as a landmark. Its waters, oddly, remain crystal clear, as if the decay won't intrude over its symbolic boundary, but outwards from it, spreads thick, spongy layers of gently swaying fungal moss. Thick, green-black mats of tendril-like growth is woven over the tiles, which oozes a miasma of spores into the air, from swaying, alien grasses and pods. This would make more sense if it grew over the wood on the other side, /not/ the ceramic flooring. Beyond it are the shadows of bookshelves, but predictably toppled and jumbled atop one another, with the classical domino effect. The books are more of an indistinguishable black mass, at this distance.
Priscilla	Elsewhere, Nova builds the wormhole through the rent in the bulkhead, and allows everyone through. They have another long walk, but eventually, the washes of Nova's layers of glowing antimatter, outline shapes in the darkness, illuminating them clearly in the shadows cast by her light. At first, they appear to be people, but a closer look immediately reveals their forms welded into the walls, floor, and even ceiling, as if the tree had rotted around them until they sunk in, and then restored itself to life, and withered again.     The bodies themselves are completely petrified, barely distinguishable from the tree bark, and transfixed by complex branches that riddle through their frames, skewering arms into reaching poses of unidentifiable significance, and erupting from open mouths, eyes, and broken chests, making them permanent fixtures of the tree, like they'd grown out of it as leaves. Priscilla looks on with the expression that only someone so burnt out by horror that they will never feel it again in their life. Unfortunately, she fails to properly pay attention to the emotional state of anyone else, as she soldiers onwards.     Eventually, the Ring is reached; or what is recognizable of it. It is extremely rare to see it with the holo-system /off/, and thus ascertain its true form. The gargantuan deck is, all things said, sparse in the extreme. The floor is so wide, flat, and grey, that it almost feels like floating, without a seam in its surface to be seen. The observation area is little more than a half-sphere encapsulating it, with few, featureless tiers, indicating the seating may have never really existed. The simultaneously extant decks don't seem to be on, leaving it a purely physical space.     Scratch that. Moving through it actually seems much too fast. The floor is featureless, so it's hard to tell, but every step is like ten. More importantly, the act of moving is nausea-inducing, intensely sickening people with a feeling like they're being assaulted by phantom G-forces, turning stomachs and dizzying senses. In the gloom, eventually people can pick out yet more of those humanoid shapes, clustered in quite the crowd near its center; the population of a large concert. All of them are rooted to the floor, and they seem to be in a more advanced state of petrification, where their fingers, arms, and legs have sprouted withered shoots and thin branches, as if they were turning into the tree, rather than being absorbed by it. Crowns of literal thorns erupt from their skulls, and their ribs split open to reveal tree hollows inside, rings and all.     Unlike the ones in the hall, these move. When someone closes to a certain distance, every single 'member' of the crowd looks up in simultaneous, eerie unison. The sound is of tree bark crackling from a hundred felled trunks. They remain fixated on the group, staring at them as soulless dolls for several seconds, before they wrest their feet, roots and all, from the floor, and begin advancing as one, in otherwise complete silence. Looking closely, they still seem to be tethered, by some kind of vine-like 'umbilical cord' that meshes nonsensically into the Ring, without staying in one place.
Tesla Armadia	Tesla Armadia may have made herself many roles in Multiverse affairs, but she is still a scientist at heart and makes sure to get samples of the not-quite-liquid that had been jamming the gate. And hands a few more containers to her assistant Shinki to fill as they wind their way through the bizarre corridors. "I knew we should expect spacial anomolties due to the nature of the Events... But there is no way -this-," a vage wave at the various overgrowths of even more varied materials that are Not Quite Right(c), "could be expected at all." "You may want to cover your mouths." Tesla gives a mental command at the full helmet of her armor manifests over her head so she can use the breathing apparatus instead of worrying about fungal spores. "Now to see if we can find anything of use. Or at least confirm there is not anything of use here."
Kazusa Ujikane	Kazcilla has to duck to properly fit through Nova's portal. It's kind of awkward.     It's probably only Priscilla's influence that keeps Kazusa steady; but the girl still underlies the attitude, and Priscilla herself can probably see the faint discomfort as they continue on. She's never /not/ going to be bothered by what's happened to Njorun. Still, she at least seems to be mindful of Nova's presence so close at hand, careful not to accidently step in the wrong place, or sweep her tail the wrong way.     And then they reach the Ring, and she has to take a moment to look around. She hadn't seen it disabled very often at all. "It hath . . . been rendered completely inert. I wouldst never have thought . . ." Her words trail off as she takes a step in.     And nearly falls flat on her face from the strange sensations and nausea. "Ugh!" It takes her a second to get steady, and then she's much more cautious about moving in, turning only to give Priscilla a significant look. 'This is enough to make me feel pretty ill, be careful.'     Only once she draws closer to the tree-petrified people does she speak again. ". . . I had thought that Njorun saved all within its branches . . . to see such-" Oh god they're getting up.     Prizusa vanishes from sight. The faux half-dragon enacts her invisibility immediately, opting first for that familiar scythe - all the better to cut through those vines. Her own combat experience (and years of fiction) tells her the 'cords' are probably the weak point.
The Kid	Kid grunts in a positive manner as the doors finally slide apart. "Good job," he says to Metal Man before leading the way through, shield up in case of trouble. When none comes, he waves everyone through and walks the corridor. The teleporter pad looks important, so he notes it on his makeshift map.     When they come to the river, he immediately sees a lot wrong. "It looks clean enough, but look at all the growth on the tiles. All that should be on this side and dirtyin' the water, but it ain't. I don't like this place, makes less sense than everythin' else," he mutters. All the spores that hang thick also have him concerned.     "We could move through that cloud, but we won't know what those though. Maybe try not to breath it in? Don't wanna use grenades, they might just spread 'em out more." When Tesla closes her helmet, he nods. "Nothin' ventured, yeah?" He ties his red neckerchief around his mouth to block out the worst of it and just sprints on through!
Haguro	"Elbow grease? Yes, ma'am. I can do that." Haguro actually seems to be relaxing a little with Yuuki directing her to help pry that door open. It seems as though she works better with someone directing her!      Inwardly, though, she does make a mental note to try and think faster next time. For now, she focuses on gathering residue from the doors and prying off rotting chunks of door once Metal Man gets it opened up.      "That should be a good amount... I'll take some more once we're leaving if we don't bring too much else back with us." Wiping her hands off on her uniform out of reflex, Haguro draws her cameras once more to take pictuers of the door and the teleporter pad as the group passes by it. The river especially gets attention from the ship girl's camera, and the moss...      Well, at least Haguro's seen moss growing in odd places before. Or had, even, considering the whole boat thing. "That's... Too much moss there, yes. And is that gas? Don't get too close to it if you need to breathe" She may not recognize the spores for what they are, but she does have enough sense not to breathe as long as it's there. Haguro keeps her turrets primed even with the dummy rounds loaded into them while she approaches one of the closer pods. She has one hand holding the camera and snapping shots (then swapping it at for another disposable) while the other keeps the wrist turrets aimed at it just in case it really does open up and start trying toe at her face.      She is very wary of face eating today. If it doesn't do that, though? She'll give it a poke and even try to pick off a piece for more material gathering.
Yuuki Kuran	Yuuki, as the Library team engages in JOLLY Co-operation to open the door with a combination of strength of arm, leveraged force, technical skill, and good 'ol fashioned elbow grease find their ingress into the Library area beyond. Or... What should be one.     (Probably un-)Helpfully, Yuuki messes with her phone and turns on her camera flashlight, sweeping it around as they go.     The river reminds her of the few times she had been there, and the plant life growing around the river reminded her of a streambed in the wint'ry climes around her family mansion.     "Haguro, Kid, let's try to comb the area for any useful tomes or interesting samples. Try to take one of everything, and stay within shouting distance - we're here to support each other, remember. Metal Man, Tesla, please try to find any computer systems and work your magic on them? Remember, buddy system!" She encouragingly calls, placing the Metal-Blade weilder alongside their resident tech-head to make sure she could work in peace. Her team, however...     She was roughly certain of Kid's and Haguro's ability to punch noses and establish dominance.
Metal Man	Metal Man gets another blade ready in the event it is needed, he's on edge he doesn't like this place. He hates this place they need to scour the ruins of both bases from the multivese he can feel it in his frame. Something is terribly wrong here and he pshes on ahead at the trippy landscape. Well trippy to him as he moves on. "I should have dragged Wood Man along. IF we can get some samples of this? We should let our serious R&D people get a lookc at it." He'll grin a bit at the others and nods ot the kid. "Thanks, you been pretty good on this Kid. Your keeping your head." Metal is an old vet and ... is shaken by this place. "Right you heard the lady Tessla lets get to work. I'd love to find their intel files on me just to see what they got, ha!"
The Kid	"Uh. Yes ma'am," Kid says to Yuuki, before regarding the masses of books.     He hasn't a single clue what he's doing.     So he just kind of... goes from shelf to shelf, grabbing books at random once he's far enough away from the last grab. That should be a good way to ensure a spread of topic, right? But even as he does, he sticks close to the others and scans the environment now and again to make sure nothing is barrelling at him.
Kushiko	Nova is even more mindful than Kazcilla realizes--an errant moment where it seems like the tail's about to matter her has her nimbly parkouring her way around and over, armored fingertip gliding briefly along the circumfrence of the tail. It's oddly elegant, but a sight that doesn't get to be dwelt on for long. If Kushiko weren't familiar with the notion of Infested as she was, this might horrify her a LOT more than it is now. As it stands, it's pretty disquieting to see what's become of that which remained still. The sense of one being inside a corpse of something is growing more prevalent. It's strangely fascinating, the way the Ring is in it's current state of being. Unfortunately and fortunately for different reasons this takes a backseat for what's actually happening. Warframes can exist and handle many kinds of conditions, nominally speaking but they're still somewhat humanoid. And what occurs next is nearly disrupting her Transference Link. A low, guttural 'hnnkh' echoes from around Nova itself, the voice of the Tenno operator somehow distorted. <"Is... hn. Is it trying to regrow, somehow?"> Kushiko asks through the intense discomfort, the nausea blessedly minor owing to a lack of internals to truly be concerned over, but the /sensations/ pass through the Transference Link, forcing Kushiko to focus on maintaining that Link to her Warframe a bit more deliberately. Once she's steadied herself, her faceless Nova's energy funnels begin to glower a bit, control rods behind her head oscillating outwards. Ordis is extremely unhappy between everything Helios and Nova's systems are reading plus what he and the Lotus' own Cephalon have been discerning. The affirmation of something else... places a theory, given the nature of the plant-people and the weird as hell 'growing'. And then they advance. She herself cannot go invisible. Invisibility is for the subtleties. And Nova Prime does not know 'subtle'. <"... fine. One of you go after that... thing, the umbilical. Maybe we can slow them down and thin their ranks."> With her control rods so extended, energy flares as she gestures, fingertips stretched and a ball of solid silver energy emerges from her hand, following it up almost immediately with a sharp blast of her shotgun--the duplex trigger mechanism meaning it goes from that silver to blackened and purple, chaotically swirling. <"This will be highly volatile. To them."> The orb hovers for a moment. Another flaring blast of antimatter energy that she sends outward towards the plant people, to bathe their bodies in that crippling antimatter particles, only to follow it up with the Antimatter Drop.
Priscilla	One would imagine that the vine-cords are a weak point. One would roughly be correct. The things sever, however, like bloated intestines, ripping apart and spilling gouts of liquefied sap and flesh like burst hoses, and continuing to pulse morbidly for several seconds. When severed, the accompanying 'zombie', bristling as a walking tree made of its own, growing bones, collapses to the floor instantly, left inert. Shortly after, though, new tendrils arise from the ground, simply phasing through the metallic floor and stabbing themselves into the useless bodies, where they pump their sickening lifeblood back into the wooden shell, and the zombie rises anew.     Worse still, the shuffling horde glides and sweeps around the group with unnatural skating motions, as the spatial distortion of the Ring of Philosophy affects them as well. They skid in jarring, stop-motion fashion, suddenly appearing much closer, or much further, like a car mirror gone wrong. When they suddenly slide up near to someone, their attack in a fittingly horrid fashion: their petrified growths erupt forward like the fruiting tendrils of cordyceps, grasping for any hold, and trying to plug themselves into whatever flesh they can get at. Where they fall short, they instead flower into luminescent bells, which spray puffs of glittering pollen. Said pollen drifts quickly through the dilated space, and on the slightest contact, erupts into chaining explosions of raw, chaotic energy, of dozens of different kinds of magic. A few even vomit these things from their mouths, where the growth remains to permanently hold their jaw open.     Nova is practically designed for this situation. Antimatter can only truly be a tool of mass destruction, and it seems that the shuffling horrors, claimed by the tree's mutable reality and made part of it, have no means to avoid the wave of antimatter. It's the ultimate setup, as scythes are, funny enough, technically designed for this; that is, reaping mass amounts of vegetation at knee level. It's literally known as 'scything'. As such, Priscilla, and by extension Kazusa, are perfectly suited to mowing them down with their huge reach, and every one they hit erupts into a ball of radioactive fire, blowing up all the zombies around them too.     The unfortunate tradeoff is that invisibility is of limited usefulness. The clouds of pollen that swirl through space unpredictably all but guarantee some of it finds its mark, if only by complete accident. Priscilla herself, has her innate racial resistance to magic, and so her battle damage is limited, mostly confined to scores of burns and bruises all around her legs. Pretty quickly, she is stepping gingerly and limiting her extreme movement, trying to let the hordes come to her and be cut down by surprise.     Eventually, their numbers thin out, and then the antimatter drop finishes the deal, going off like a nuclear bomb and briefly illuminating the entire ring, like a flash of lightning. Once it clears, the arboreal 'undead' are no more. A haze of loose souls swirls up from the carnage, and is drawn to Priscilla. The Ring feels almost worse, now, for its tomb-like silence. Even as horrific, and for real, as the fighting was, it has always been a place that has only come alive for combat. Now it feels like it's let out its last breath, and gone cold. Hopefully, it's only a fanciful notion, as there is still the matter of getting to the diagnostic deck way up high on the other side of the room, and making contact with the computer, that may or may not even have power.
Priscilla	Meanwhile, over at the library, the group has the good fortune of being accosted by nothing. The threats that face them are not so material. Thankfully, crossing over the fungal line is easy enough. The spores seem oddly mundane, in that a helmet or mask filter keeps them out well enough (though both should be decontaminated later). That probably means, though, that actually inhaling one would be utterly terrible to make up for how easy they are to avoid. The only event of note, is that when the fruiting strands brush against someone moving too close, they fire off what must be stinging cells, like a jellyfish. They aren't actually capable of puncturing thick boots, or solid metal construction, but they hurt like holy hell, and may need to be checked out later. There are at least no immediate effects to the unlucky.     What awaits them is something far less physical, and inversely more insidious. At first, the only task is that of moving around a fantastically large, grave dark library, and picking up books from the near-endless, jumbled piles. As one remains beyond the river, the difficulty of this simple process grows gradually more difficult, as a rapid, clenching hunger settles in, gradually growing sickening in the intensity of cramps, spasms and numbness. Even Metal Man feels the output of his power source slowly but surely dropping, putting his systems on alert.     That, if anything, should clue them in that this is not a mind-altering effect. As it goes on, the wasting hunger sets in harder and harder, digging its fangs in until anyone who stays longer will feel their body gradually shutting down. It is real, physical starvation, happening at a thousandfold rate as long as they remain in the library, impossible to really grasp. It's entirely possible one could die here in a matter of hours. At least they won't die of thirst.     The books collected are about as bad as one would expect. For the most part, they aren't decaying like everything else. Instead, flipping through them, even casually, one quickly finds that each page is the equivalently numbered page of another book. Only a scarce few actually match in some places. One turn of a page can go from sword smithing to detailed explanations of necrotech to a story about a fairy princess. They /do/ stay the same however, not shifting randomly, or otherwise illegible or altered. Still, one can't shake the sense that there is a deliberate pattern to the jumble, as if there might be some deeper meaning.
Tesla Armadia	The frown on Tesla's features only deepens. As someone whom has often worked herself to the brink of collapse in the pursuit of her craft, the sensations starting to etch at the edge of awareness from the depths of her digestive tract are uncomfortably familiar. "Metal, Saiga; status report." The shinki glances down at her personal monitoring device, which looks like a tiny doll sized PDA. "There is an anomolous decrease in my power cell's capactiy Master." Followed by a small yawning gesture. The loss of power tends to make her sleepy rather than hungry. Tesla grunts unhappily at that. "So it's not a disorientation effect. Unfortunate. We're not going to be able to stay here very long then." The technopath huffs, exhaling hard and forcing herself to remain calm for the time being. They're on a time limit now so she needs to be quick about trying this. Closing her eyes to help her focus past the gnawing hunger starting to build in her gut she reachs out with her power, making a quick sweep to see if there are any computer systems in the vicinity.
Haguro	Haguro certainly notices that something's wrong, but she can't quite figure it out right away aside from the general sluggishness of her fuel stores draining. She hasn't been moving around that much, though, so shouldn't she be okay? As it lingers and she works on getting more samples from the pods and even those stinging vines, though, it does become easier to notice the feeling growing stronger. Metal Man and Tesla all but confirm it, too!      "This isn't... We shouldn't stay here for too long." That won't stop Haguro from taking pictures of everything, of course, snapping shots of the vines themselves and the books both inside and out. She doesn't quite spot the pattern yet considering the time limit they're working on, though. Still, there's enough oddness about the books themselves that Haguro tucks several of the smaller books away to go with all the samples she's already gathered.      She also grabs some of that moss for good measure. Samples are samples!
The Kid	As the Kid picks out books and checks their contents (all of which seem jumbled), the Kid feels the pangs of hunger. That's okay, he's used to labouring while starving. Life on the Rippling Walls is hard, he knows that twice as hard as anyone else. But it just gets deeper and deeper faster than it should, until he feels like the front of his belly is sticking to his spine. Only now does he relent.     "You all feelin' that?" he asks, arms loaded with books. "Hang on. Here." From his belt, he produces a bottle of wine, takes a long swig, and offers it around. "Lifewine. Can keep you goin' through thick and thin. Should help stave this off for a bit." He then looks to Yuuki, looking deeply serious. "Do we keep lookin', or do we come back with a feast in hand?" He is willing to keep going until starvation claims him, if someone gives him the word.
Kushiko	That was a harrowing, if altogether eeriely horrifying experience to be certain. Similar yet different to dealing with the Infested, it's not something she favors. Even with Priscilla and Kazcilla doing their part, Nova doesn't completely walk away unscathed; shields useless versus more toxic means of harm but far better against the traditional 'burning' elements at least. Still, some of this is forestalled by Helios emitting a pulsating green beam of light so she didn't just /abruptly/ fall. It still stings like hell back within her Orbiter. Kushiko sags back within her Somatic Chamber, shaking her head a little bit, and confirming for now systems are operational. Nova in the meantime does bend a little subspace in order to drop a disc of Orokin make which also begins to pulsate some measure of restorative energy. Not perfect healing; injuries will need to be seen to properly, but it's a good measure to ensure both Kazusa and Priscilla are mostly fit. For now. <"That should recuperate your energy a little,"> Kushiko muses faintly as she begins to traverse the stone silence of the Ring. She needed a better position to evaluate precisely how--if at all--she might do this. She actually ends up sprinting a little bit, launching herself like a bullet, rolling through midair and basically hustling her way over to what she judges to be /possibly/ the best point to try this. Once she has, it's a matter of judging. The control surfaces on her back expand, resembling tiny, futuristic pixie wings nearly before she jumps and opens up one worm hole; this time, they're big enough to accept Priscilla and Kazcilla. When she leaps, and passes through it, she opens up another immediately, the momentum intent for carrying her towards the diagnostic deck proper. She may need one two more, but her intent is to get up to that diagnostic deck and maybe be able to get the Sister Halfbreeds up there with her. One can hope, amidst the oscillating pulses from each passage. At least, by this, and Kushiko's evaluation? They're good enough that both Prisc and Kaz can take a running leap through it, and while disorienting, land up there with her. Once they do, Nova-Kushiko is so gonna go take some scans and see if she can get any systems running here, assuming they're not dead as hell. And if they are, well. She can empower devices somewhat with her Warframe's shields--presuming of course, the Lady Priscilla and Kazcilla don't have far better notions.
Kazusa Ujikane	Much as Priscilla herself, Kazusa is protected from the worst of the injury by inherent magical resistance. But while some of the half-god's battle experience has become so innate that the card-user can actually draw on it, she is still far less used to this form than its owner, and the result is that she gets more battered and burned before she can find her cautious footing.     She's also more cautious than Priscilla is, falling back to a longer range. She opts to draw on other assets instead; putting away the Lifehunt Scythe in favor of a blade that the Queen of Lordran didn't own the last time Kazusa became her. The Moonlight Longsword is given a brief flourish, and then suddenly she's striking with it, unleashing the magical blades that the sword is capable of firing. She'll still more than do her part to thin the zombies to nothing, of course - but from a safe distance.     At the end of it all, she turns silently, to regard the fallen piles with quiet melancholy. ". . . I hath naught but sorrow for what has become of Njorun. This place was peaceful. Its inhabitants kind. Now it hath nothing but death and decay within its boughs."     It's a thankful thing that Nova deposits that healing unit; some of the tension eases from the faux-half-dragon's shoulders. "I thank thee," she says to the Tenno, before quietly leaping up into the wormhole to join her.
Metal Man	Metal Man is going through pwere faster than normal? Yes he sees the warning pop up a SD Sniper Joe fails its arms on his HUD and he wonders. WHEN DID Wily add tht? He's not sure if to be annoyed or amused at his creator but then again Wily did have an odd sense of humour given his love of googly eyes., However it's getting serious he is loing power arpaidly and he can't keep this going for long. "Power levels are daining seriously here I can't stay here much longer." HE looks to Haguro for a moment. "We should grab what we can and go." HE'll grab what books he can too and he'll be making ready to get going. He drains the e-tank he has before the effect gets all of that too but he know he won't have long.
Yuuki Kuran	Hunger, for Yuuki, was something she was dimly aware of, a ravening constant that she had deferred for an indeterminant amount of time by eating a QUESTIONABLE FRUIT from a shady grove a year or so ago. The desire for sustenance, however, had ever been with her, that mild 'could go for a bite' sensation keeping her peckish every day.     Today, right now, she remembered her curse, and pulled out a small container of what appeared to be pez, knocking a few into her mouth and chewing as she made a face. As others started to experience their own signs of grinding starvation, she nods, retaining her composure. "Well, I suppose this hazard will have to have a countermeasure too. Or a feast!"     Lifewine? She raises a hand. "Thank you, very much, but I'll be fine." She rattles her container of chiklets for emphasis. "Let us take what we can and go, everyone! And, if you are able, remember carefully and take any data you can on this effect - it will be the key to exploring this area! Now, back outside, before any of us collapse... I'd hate to think of having to drag someone out of this..." She calls to the group, worried and glancing around for a source, before starting to move back towards the entrance. "What a terrible trap for a place so large and full of secrets."
Priscilla	Tesla is privy to the information that much of the data slates and memory chips contained within the library seems to be intact. Some of it has been irreparably broken, but mostly by falls and crushing, not anything special. She will have time to retrieve a handful at absolute maximum, before she quite seriously becomes completely incapacitated. Regardless of the incredible armour, she is flesh and blood beneath. Despite her willpower, there is an absolute limit to her body at some point.     The Kid, meanwhile, feels life flooding back through his body, almost painfully restoring blood circulation to his extremities, and relieving the pain right away. The Lifewine works with full effect, untouched by the strange ravages of the Library. That said, the same process sets back in immediately, and shortly thereafter, he is starving all over again. It might even be a little faster than before. At this point, it feels like he would need to be carrying a wine rack to get deep into the books. However, he has significantly more time than the others, and can gather roughly as much as he can comfortably carry.     Those who partake of the same after him, roughly feel the same effect, as much as it would normally work on them, but sharing it around guarantees that the time it buys them is split five ways (five and a quarter, counting Saiga). Assuming it doesn't work on Metal Man, his E-Tank essentially has the exact same effect, in the robotic sense. He skyrockets back up to full power, and then it steadily drains again.     Team restores are a godsend for everyone who isn't the poor schmuck who has to build them all. Priscilla is less vocal about it, but appreciates it all the same, kneeling down next to the green pulses that wash out from it, and letting slip a quiet, hushed sigh. She does say to Kazusa, though: "I wouldst not quite call Njorun a place of peace. It was, after all, a monument built to war, despite what was made of it by the people who lived with it."     She actually stays behind. The wormholes look dubious to her, and she's already experiencing enough vertigo that she's avoided letting on, so some time to recover and reorient herself is appreciated. Besides, she can prevent the way back from being blocked by more floral corpses.     Up at the deck, things are mercifully sane and clear, but even more depressingly lonely. Nobody is here to watch over the daily aspirations of Elites in training, but a single, ossified man, rooted into his chair, which has rooted into the floor, staring out the window with a face of tangled, outstretched roots, forever rendering his longing identity unknown. Luckily, he doesn't get up to attack, leaving Kushiko unrestricted access to the computer; or rather, Kazusa unrestricted access, because she was /given/ the codes as a Unionite, and Kushiko can freely download them. Her shielding will be necessary to power the system, which luckily has a fairly universal power core that accepts many kinds of Multiversal energy.     Oddly, the power core is starting to melt like wax on the outside, inside a deck room that is otherwise perfectly stable.     Soon enough, Priscilla calls after the others, as Yuuki shephers the group she leads as Director. "Prithee, maketh haste. I feel the stirrings of sovereignless souls, and I wouldst ill-wish to be here shouldst the Ring recognize them, and assert a reality on top of us." No such thing happens in the time it takes the other two to finish the transfer, at least, but coming back down to ground level eventually, they too get the eerie sensation of people walking right past them on both sides, as if coming to an assembly, or to spectate.
Priscilla	For both groups, as a first and final mercy, the way back is the way they came, and remains no more threatening than when they had entered. Both teams of crack Elites have wounds and maladies that must be seen to even from such a short excursion, which is a worrying state of affairs, but none have sunk into the tarry mess of Njorun's rotting reality; for reasons that may yet be discovered.
Tesla Armadia	"It would be prudent to not linger here. Grab what you can and we scram." You can tell the creeping growing exhaustion is having an effect on her, Tesla's conversation gets a lot less elaborate. She accepts Kid's offer to share and takes a brief swig, but it's only a very temporary solution. "Thanks." No time to poke around so she just trudges through to the nearest cache of data units and grabs as many as she can carry. It's not much when she doesn't have time to pick through and stash them away somewhere, but it's a start. "Let's get out of here." She's already heading back towards the exit.
Metal Man	Metal Man sees he doesn't have much time but the tank has got him a bit more. AT this point he doesnt' seem to care about the mission other than getting the entire team out /alive/ that what he seems to be thinking no. He does have some books nad he's not going to ague about how he's going. He's going to try to get the hell out of here now and he moves with all the muster he can to get out with the rest of the team. He does not delay he does not pause he's getting out of this broken reality it remined him too much of something ... Oblivision, it couldn't be akin to that horror? Could it?
Kushiko	If Nova had eyes, they'd narrow ever so slightly at the way the power core is /melting/ like wax. This, like many things, is documented by Helios who unlike the others, doesn't have the nasty bits of vertigo and the like. Nonetheless, it's probably due to her tendency to zip and warp around that she's handled the vertigo and other nauseating effects better than most. It still slows her from time to time, but the exertion is relative; mental exhaustion as the Warframe itself doesn't seem to tire. Once she has codes from Kazusa, she works to quickly download the information, providing an uplink to the Lotus and Ordis for both of them to collect and download all the data they can. They won't have time to download it, but they'll have /plenty/ of readings to go over. <"... I still think it's trying to regenerate somehow. Floral life is amazingly resilient sometimes, but this defies..."> Nova shakes her head, mirroring her operator Tenno's sentiment. She is assuaged to see both Priscilla and Kazusa recovered well enough thanks to that disk of lifegiving energy she had deployed. The disquieting sense of being... watched? By the ghosts of yesterday is not something the Tenno finds herself particularly favoring. Still, after keeping the systems empowered long enough, the tether of energy breaks from her system shields, allowing her to begin regenerating them once more. She'll create another set of worm holes downward, though she herself will halfway bullet glide a bit, bringing her Sancti Tigris up again on the way out, just in case. Blessedly, the lack of resistance--only unnerving specters of the past--means it isn't as needed. Doesn't mean she isn't wrong for staying very, VERY wary of things. As they meet up with the others, she produces a few worm holes to expedite things--after all, once past the vertigo-inducing areas, it's a bit easier. And as promised, the transports are ready--Kushiko transferring Nova to her Liset, and the moment she and the others are generally aboard the armored VTOL-like ships, they don't waste /any/ time beyond making sure people are secured so they can get right the hell out of dodge. Or in this case, Njorun.