HELIODOR and EMERALD

[dramatispersonae]

You sink down, down, down through the water, the light fading away above, but somehow you neither get wet nor have trouble breathing...

Occasionally, fragments of song reach you.

Comments

THE LOWEST LEVEL

[dramatispersonae]

You need to live, goes the snippet of song in your head.

Welcome to the bottom of the sea. It should be dark here, but something illuminates a vast garden surrounding you. It should be wet here, but the sensation of the water around you is distant, and you stay dry.

At the center of the garden rises a great spiral staircase carved out of mother-of-pearl.

EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[dramatispersonae]

 

ONWARDS

[dramatispersonae]

Glimmering with the light, the opalescent stairs rise high above, vanishing into dark water once out of range of the light. A coral gate bars them from you for now. It is locked, but the faint outline of a key can be seen in the lock.

Whenever you get near the stairway, a snippet of songs resolves into words in your head:

Make a wish from your heart.

You know that is what one person here must do to proceed.

THE MIDDLE LEVEL

[dramatispersonae]

You need to love, goes the snippet of song in your head.

As you come to a broad shelf on the sea floor, a peculiar sight unfolds before you in the returning light. The ancient remains of a shipwreck litter the ground, but before them, a number of marble statues have been arranged like some kind of art installation.

Beyond all this, another mother-of-pearl stairway rises into the waters above as they approach the surface.

EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[dramatispersonae]

 

ONWARDS

[dramatispersonae]

The opalescent stairs rise high above, wavering faintly in the rippling water as they go up, then vanishing into more gloom. A coral gate bars them from you for now. It is locked, but the faint outline of a key can be seen in the lock.

Whenever you get near the stairway, a snippet of songs resolves into words in your head:

Make a wish from your heart.

You know that is what one person here must do to proceed.

THE TOP LEVEL

[dramatispersonae]

You need to dream, goes the snippet of song in your head.

The water falls away around you as you emerge into a cavern, its stone walls dappled with light reflecting off the calm water. Plants and seaweed grow in the shallows, and all around you in the sand are fantastical sculptures.

The way out of the cave is barred by another coral gate.

EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[dramatispersonae]

 

FINISH

[dramatispersonae]

The walls of the cavern slowly narrow into a tunnel to the outside. Yet another gate made of coral blocks the way to it, though. It is locked, but the faint outline of a key can be seen in the lock.

Whenever you get near the stairway, a snippet of song resolves into words in your head:

Make a wish from your heart.

You know that is what one person here must do to proceed.

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[myfreeheart]

It's so beautiful....

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[zen_master]

It's strange.

Hey . . .

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[zen_master]

[going to walk around the garden, seeing what's down here :U]

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[myfreeheart]

Because we're not drowning? Hi. My name's um... Well it's kind of long. But you can call me Firelady! Are you playing with me today?

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[zen_master]

[nods]

Looks like I am, and it's nice to meet you, uh, Firelady. Can you think of anything to do here? Or should we try that staircase?

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[dramatispersonae]

Great fronds of kelp rise out of the ocean floor, gleaming faintly in all shades of green, as well as red and purple. Strange creatures as beautiful as any flower inch slowly along the sandy bed, and brilliantly-colored fish dart in and out of the waving seaweed.

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[myfreeheart]

Hm. Well the song said we need to live... Maybe we should make sure none of the plants are dying first? It's really big, but... If you take one side of the garden I can take the other!

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[zen_master]

[going to walk through (slide past?) the kelp, anything hiding over here?]

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[zen_master]

It sounds like it was talking about us, not the plants. But we should check them.

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[myfreeheart]

Eh? But I feel fine.

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[zen_master]

For now. Live could also have a lot of meanings.

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[dramatispersonae]

The tall, waving seaweed is surprisingly sturdy, and in places it tangles with itself to provide nooks of shelter, guarded from the faint currents outside.

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[zen_master]

[peering into a nook . . . ]

[crymoore]

Isn't it? [ Look at all the new people Frost hasn't met yet. ]

I'm Frost--and you are?

Re: EXPLORE AND DISCUSS

[myfreeheart]

Lots of meanings... Then. Let's stay alive and...let's live it up! I've never been here before. So we should have some fun while we're here too.

[Looking around.]

Maybe I can even bring something back for Heliodor...

[myfreeheart]

I'm── Um. You can call me Firelady! I'm really glad to meet you. Are you helping today too? We're going to live it up!