@everyone (cw: pit shrine related gore)

[unwings]

It’s time we address the behemoth released from the shrines.

For those who weren’t in the pit, we shared the cavern with 4 occult shrines that produced a steady flow of blood. When the exterior of each was removed, a second was beneath - an armored figure with a spiked halo knelt in prayer, bleeding from empty eye sockets. Save for one other - a standing, armored skeleton-like humanoid carrying the upper half of an iron maiden, and wielding a spiked ball at the end of what appeared to be a chain of its own small intestines.

When the last of these shrines were opened, pillars of writhing flesh struck through the pit’s ceiling. Later, it was apparent these were the monster’s legs, and some were crushed underfoot when it began to retreat from its cage.

Proximity to the shrines caused a flood of sinister whispering and visions of a shadowed figure, and those of us succumbed to the ritual’s effects felt a certain draw to them. It’s unclear if the acolytes were hoping we’d interact with these shrines, as they never intervened, but the monster’s escape caused the eventual collapse of the pit and did them no favors.

Did anyone in the rescue team see where it went, after it broke off from the cavern? Best we learn what this creature is and what it’s capable of before we encounter it again.

There will be a cross-faction book exchange and research effort hosted in Istredd's domain regularly. Please come by if you’re interested in helping with this, sharing books not available in your faction, or any other pursuit of this world’s knowledge.


And, if anyone’s seen Dean Winchester - in the Horizon or otherwise - Sam, Jo and I would appreciate a word.

Comments

[earthborn]

I would assume that unless it drowned in the caves that it got washed out to sea, when the cavern flooded. I'd have said that something like that might not agree with saltwater and marine life, but hell if I know how anything works on this insane planet.

Creepy imagery aside, there's no reason to believe it's hostile, just big. Even a Thresher Maw only attacks what bothers it first.

[unwings]

It's escape was what caused the cavern's collapse and flooding, it was larger than the entire structure. I doubt it could've been washed anywhere with that size.

The shrines seemed like ritual totems meant to seal it in. If it were as simple as drowning it in the sea, I doubt those before us would've done to such lengths to cage it.

[earthborn]

As I just said, I don't venture an opinion as to whether or not the thing is dead.

You're making some fairly direct assumptions, without a lot of information. Who says that whatever locked it up down there wanted it dead? Too many unknowns. What we can say for sure is this: there was one exit. Into the water.

[unwings]

It took out large pieces of the solid rock ceiling. I believe it fair to assume it made it's own exit.

[earthborn]

Well, if we're going to accept that argument, then we don't know anything about it's potential whereabouts, capabilities, or temperament. And we also don't know if it can survive in the ocean, if it's still on the island, or where else, if anywhere, it might've gone.

Seems to me, a scouting mission is order, if you want to do more than make a blind guess. Assuming that someone actually needs to dedicate man-hours and supplies towards tracking giant alien wildlife... We could always put the question to the army. Free Cities might fund the mission; they do have a vested interest in maintaining their borders.