"Since you and I are of the same Form, for the sake of the experiment, shall I go to the room and you stay here at the controls?  Then I can try to leave again so you may determine how to keep the door shut, as it were?" Delfino suggests brightly.

Paraton is in the middle of explaining to Attilisk how the machine seems to function,

So, if I got this right, this ancient pillar, when approached precisely this way, can block all access in and out of the floating room I was in. I think this plate here works by pressing it with the full hand, while staring directly at this hole over here. Notice how the shimmer is not present if you reach the device in any...

Then, the seeker hears Delfino's quip and is at a momentary loss for words.

I do have to say, I have never seen before somebody so cheerful about being trapped in a room with two ravenous beasts. This is most noble of you.

"Isn't the seal on the door unsealable, then?  Once we test it, can we not reset it as a trap for the beasties?"

Delfino smiles a little strangely at Paraton's comment about being willing to be in a room with violent beasts.  "Well, they might be distracted.  And I don't intend to leap about and advertise my presence.  I shall go in as quietly as I may.  Besides, unless we all intend to volunteer, someone must likely go.  Unless someone else has a better way to test the integrity of the door?"

"To test rather than trust blindly is a wise endeavor, indeed." Porgot looks at Delfino levelly. "And a true test would simulate and attempted escape, just as this does. You are a brave being to undergo such a trial. Hopefully these orbs of communication will give us an opportunity to retrieve should things prove different than we expect."

Wait, how exactly do you plan on "testing the integrity of the doors" -and the walls, for that matter- without these beasts noticing? I don't think just giving it a push will do.  I fear that the testing will perforce involve actually getting these animals to try and escape. In that case, I'll help you check. As a pair, we can sic them and try to direct their fury..

"Can we test the sealing process first?  I don't want to lure them there only to find out we can't seal it securely, anyway.  Maybe Delfino and I go down and stay on either side while Paraton operates the controls.  Delfino and Paraton can use the communication orbs.  Once we know the seal works, we reset the trap and then figure the plan to get the beasties there.  Does anyone have a better way to proceed?"

As he's waiting for the others to continue, Attilisk says, "Although these orbs only work for three hours or so, so we either need to be really quick about it, or we need to have a different way to alert the user when to control the trap.  I guess if we can use the monitors here to see what's inside the egg room, that would work."

"Well, perhaps we can see if we can seal it at all, and then worry about testing the seal with great force once we have that step down.  I'm certain I would rather be at a far greater distance if we are going to test it with explosions or enraging the beasts," Delfino offers.

"Agreed."

Paraton accepts Delfino's idea with a cordial

That sounds good. I'm ready when you are... Ah! Wait! I have this cypher that will help you navigate the weightless room.

Paraton shows a pair of gloves with oddly shaped palms.
These will stick to surfaces if you will them to. Amazingly practical stuff, if you find yourself in this kind of situation.

"Wisdom incarnate. I thank the Transfigured God for connecting me with such experienced explorers. Let's be at it. I will stay with Paraton should the unthinkable happen, we will keep each other safe."

Delfino accepts the gloves with due gravity.  "My thanks; these will be most useful.  I should be within the chamber in less than ten minutes."

With that, he will give everyone a bow and go from the room.  Watching the view of the large room, you eventually see Delfino cautiously creep from the hole into the large chamber, hands flat on the walls next to the hole as he emerges.  His legs float behind him as he moves slightly away from the hole, keeping to what shadows exist.  He is moving slowly and carefully.  Whether it is quiet or not is a matter of debate, no sound being heard from the image.

OOC: Those manipulating the controls can try to modify them to "lock" the room, DT 4 understanding numenera check.

Attilisk will do what he can to help Paraton with the controls.

OOC: Should give you an asset or two.

Paraton watches the visions closely, and as soon as Delfino crosses the judging corridor and enters the weightless room, they operate the commands with pinpoint accuracy. Everything is silent, here and there. You could hear a pin drop, except you couldn't, because it would just float in the weightless room.

OOC: Paraton rolled 19 for Operating the controls for the weightless room.

Paraton slides their hands into the globes, strumming the invisible strands therein to manipulate the field that "judges" the opening.  They feel a distinct hum, and a flavor of cumin in the back of their throat (they might not know what cumin is, but that is what they taste), and on the image the tunnel turns a bright shade of blue.  Delfino is motionless for a moment, and then climbs back into the tunnel.  He climbs out a moment later, shaking one hand vigorously, as if he had touched something painful.

Below Delfino, you can see some shadows on the floor begin to writhe, a stain like purple ink spreading along the bottom of the large room...

"He couldn't get out, so that's good.  But I don't like the look of that dark patch.  Open it up again.  I'm going to run down there in case he needs help."  With that, Attilisk rushes off down the ramp to see what help his "twin" might need.  Ideally, that would be none, but things don't always seem to work out that way.

Paraton sees the shadows and for a moment they paralyze. So similar to their own curse!
The seller scrambled to punch the correct sequence to open the doors again.

OOC: Paraton rolled 15 opening the judgment gate.

Delfino "swims" towards the gate, and on the image you see the tunnel flash.  A puff of purple smoke issues from the tunnel, but Delfino doesn't re-emerge.  Either he got out, or something else happened.  But also the purple shadows on the floor thicken and form into a long column that suddenly oozes up the wall and into the tunnel!

"What in the Transfigured God's eyes is that thing?" Porgot stares at the purple column, "Quick, try to reach him with the orb! Delfino, can you hear us? Delfino, are you alright?"

Attilisk continues his rush toward the tunnel.

Attilisk runs into the crystal room only to see Delfino trying to get out of the tunnel, hands scrabbling at the entrance.  His face is scorched and something seems to be pulling him backwards; his expression is one of terror.  A lingering scent of ozone permeates the air, and a chill emanates from the tunnel, lining it with frost.

"It's got me!  It's pulling me back, help!" he screams.

Attilisk rushes forward to grab Delfino's arms and pull him away from ... whatever's dragging him back toward the egg room.

In the control room, Paraton frantically pores over the controls to try and understand if they can lock the shadows in the room, or cut them somehow.

This... no this. This must be it!

They palm a mauve control and it lights up. A siren blares.

OOC: Paraton rolled 14 for Checking the machine to see if it can lock the ... thing in the room. 1 Level of effort (Int edge 1). They are also trained in Understanding and identifying Numenera
This message was last edited by the player at 13:50, Mon 20 Jan 2020.

Attilisk grabs his doppelganger by the wrists and hauls hard, pulling Delfino free.  He can see smoking purple wounds left behind on his legs, the material of his trousers sublimated away by the touch of whatever had grabbed him.

--



In the room, Paraton slides one of the control orbs over, then up, while simultaneously smoothing another at a downward 35-degree angle...  The shadows surge on the screen, then billow up, like water trying to pour down a clogged drain.

--

Behind Delfino, Attilisk can see the flicker of the "door" taking on a bright cerulean hue, and behind it purple smoke fills the void, unable to penetrate.  Yet.

Attilisk pulls his injured companion back and away from the shadows and barriers and threatening weirdness.  "Maybe we need a different plan," he grumbles as they move back toward the control room that Paraton is operating.