[eneg | voice]

[elfstoned]

Strider here.

First of all, I'd like to remind everyone that LSR clinic is available to anyone who needs it. It's off of Five Forks Road, just south of the Dead District. If there's anything wrong that you feel you can't go to a hospital for, come see Dr. Solus or myself, and we'll help you.

Second, I've been seeing rather more police around the city than is usual. Be careful. They cannot be trusted.

...present company excepted, of course.

[you're great kotetsu no rly]

Third, regarding the mines and Thunder Corp. Is anyone planning to investigate either? I cannot offer my help with the latter -- if it went wrong, it would draw attention to the clinic, and that is something I will not risk. However, about the mines...

[He takes a deep breath, then lets it out, uncomfortable underneath his even, measured tone.]

It's no secret that I don't believe we can trust anything that Sage had to say. But this won't stop with monster attacks, and that Gem is the only lead we've got. Has anyone been back to investigate?

And if not...I have experience navigating abandoned mines.

Comments

voice;

[eras]

Ummm. Mind if I ask about the mines? And Thunder Corp. Thunder Corp was only mentioned briefly in the FAQ, as some sort of statue racking up financial support for it? I read backwards a bit, but there wasn't anything explicit about Thunder, although I saw some things about the mines...

voice;

[elfstoned]

In the mines we encountered an old man who said he was the Sage of Earth. He was able to manipulate the stone around him, and promised answers if enough of us came to the mines. He told us that the enemies we faced were ancient and undefeatable, but could possibly be sealed out if we collected mystic gems.

[Aaron's tone is not mocking, but it's certainly doubtful.]

He said the Gem of Earth was in the mines somewhere, and it would be up to us to find it.

Of course, then the entrance of the mine caved in, he collapsed dead, and we were attacked by monsters, so it all may very well have been a trap. Take it with a grain of salt.

As for Thunder Corp, not too long ago several statues were erected: one in the Dead District, three in museums, made of pink stone and mostly depicting snakes. These statues affected the minds of people without numbers. One made them want to leave the Dead District. Another made them want to buy Thunder Corp products. Ergo, Thunder Corp wants the Dead District cleared, and has turned to supernatural means to do it.

Neither are what I would call strong leads, but they're all we have at the moment.

text;

[reapsthewind]

I work for a tech company atm; I'm going to see if we have any open work contracts with Thunder and weasel my way in. If that doesn't work, good old fashioned hacking.

Re: mines, I have some aerial remote-control drones I can lend anyone who wants to try investigating down there. They've got enough AI to be self sufficient enough to find their way back out if they lose signal and it'll be a good way to do a field test of some theories I'm working on for school anyway.

text;

[elfstoned]

That's a relief. I would rather not go back into the mines if I don't have to.

voice {iphone}

[ursoreckless]

I could probably go with for any mine exploring. I'm not experienced, but I have good low-light vision and am always insanely prepared with gear.

voice

[elfstoned]

Chris has offered to use drones for mine exploration. Personally, I don't want anyone to go back in if they don't have to. The Sage's words may have been a lie -- there may be more traps waiting for us further down.

[ text ]

[fatherssins]

I really don't think it's a good idea doing to investigate these places, look what happened last time.

[ text ]

[elfstoned]

Believe me, I remember. I do not make these suggestions lightly, nor without caution.

But what would you have us do?

[Voice]

[espigeonage]

If you go I'm going with you. [do not argue sir.]

...Just, um, I really can't see well in the dark anymore, so... bring more lights. But maybe it won't come to that.

[Voice]

[elfstoned]

I may not be going after all. It seems we have robots for that.

text;

[shortspoken]

Personally I think investigating Thunder Corp (at least in-person) is too much of a risk at this stage. Even if due care was taken, the consequences for anyone who gets caught would be more than severe.

[ Haha there are no ulterior motives here, what ]

The mines seem a better bet, though I have to count myself out there as well.

text;

[elfstoned]

Thunder Corp is our strongest lead, and the one we can be sure is not a trap. The mines still could be.

We may be able to investigate both without necessarily going there in-person. Robot drones have been offered for mine exploration, as well as hacking into Thunder Corp's systems.

Voice

[depolarized]

Nothing but dead ends on the stone anywhere on the internet. Probably in the library, too. Unless he was talking about some jewelry shops, it doesn't exist.

About the clinic... Thanks for having me a while back.

[ooc: He was sliced open and healed himself partway after the mine trap, has a 'cure spell' which is fairly low level but did save him from bleeding out while unconscious and getting infections. It can be cast on others but it's kinda a quick patch until he manages to make it stronger. Annnd kinda... handwaving that he went to the clinic because the log of rescuers taking him there kinda fell through. XD;;]

Voice

[elfstoned]

[Handwaving that is totally fine by me! Aaron would actually have felt TERRIBLE that you were left behind in the mines.]

I wish I were surprised. It would be nice to have a direction, something we could actively work towards. Something more than vague hints that lead to dangerous places.

And you needn't mention it. It is my business.

Text;

[vetala]

I think that if anyone is going to investigate a series of abandoned mineshafts that might possibly be haunted, they should probably be armed.
And they should probably have a few people willing to actually go and get them if there ends up being some sort of eldritch monstrosity lurking in said mines.

That said, exactly what is Thunder Corp and is it something to be concerned about? They weren't mentioned much.

Text;

[elfstoned]

Thunder Corp is a technical manufacturing company, unremarkable except that they are connected to the unusual events in the city. From what I gather, they have access to stone that can mentally affect those in close proximity to it, and are using that stone to clear the Dead District, presumably to build in it, and also to profit.

[Voice]

[dododo]

[ He needs to stop letting his curiosity get the better of him. ]

Why exactly can't they be trusted?

[Voice]

[elfstoned]

When all this began, one of us tried to go to them about it, for help.

He and his family were killed, and another one of us, a man named Jack Sears, was framed for the murders. The police are no friends of ours.

[voice]

[acequeen]

You know, I'm actually tempted to figure out if Thunder Corp is as underhanded as I thought. Of course, I expect a large company like theirs to have a lot of tight security, so I can't go alone. It'd be too risky, not to mention senseless.

[voice]

[elfstoned]

Do you mean in person?

[counterclock]

[She ignores all the LARPing technobabble stuff, but.]

strider, huh
cute nickname

[elfstoned]

It's no nickname.

[voice]

[allinvein]

Ah, I knew you were around here somewhere. [He laughs quietly.] This is John, in case the accent isn't a dead giveaway.

That's some heavy stuff you're involved in there. Anything I can do to help? I wasn't aware of this network when the mine incident or the Sage's speech happened, so my knowledge on those incidents is largely just based on the FAQ.

[voice]

[elfstoned]

Ah! Hello, John. This is a surprise.

I'm beginning to wonder if everyone I know won't show up on this network eventually.

text;

[iustitia]

A doctor and an experienced spelunker? Color me impressed!

text;

[elfstoned]

The spelunking, I'm afraid, I cannot take credit for. The memories aren't mine, but I have them anyway. They're extensive, about two weeks' worth of mine travel all told.

text;

[toobig]

Maybe I'm a little new on this... network thing, but... Are blackmarket doctors really necessary?



No offense.

text;

[elfstoned]

None taken.

Would a respectable clinic be more to your tastes, then? One less accustomed to keeping secrets, perhaps, or in a more populous location?

( text )

[argents]

I did. With Gomez, about a week afterward since I was lucky enough to not get hurt the first time. But nothing was different, or seemed off. Unless there's something we're just not seeing...

[ Other than, you know, everything. ]

( text )

[elfstoned]

There's nothing there? You're sure?