Tacita falls besides Zalbane as she explains. She is eager to get moving and she wants to shake the down feeling she had after the encounter with the craftsmen. As she leaves the campsite, her tunic reverts back to her practical clothing, a purple trousers and a yellow jacket.

Using her spear in her right hand as a walking stick she toys with a throwing knife in the other. She gazes about in search for the craftsman Mustane, but is otherwise unconcerned about any danger.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:59, Sun 19 Jan 2020.

The ledge is narrow, but passable, and there seem to be many handholds.  Below the "walkway" the rent in the earth's crust opens precipitously and disappears in the darkness below.  The gap to the far wall widens to perhaps 30 or 40 feet as the path continues to hug the northern side.  The ledge also drops down, albeit slowly, and only seems to level off when the path is 50 feet or more below the surface.  The light here is dim, but enough to see somewhat ahead and behind.  The gorge itself traces a sinewy path, so only so much can be observed at a time from the ledge.

From very nearly the moment the caravan stopped in the gorge Nalla had been absorbed in the process of mapping the area, first at a distance, then for more detail as a closer inspection in person, even going so far as to poke and prod the occasional stone or plant out of the way.

Returning now to where the caravan is she finds that many people have wandered off without even starting to set camp, and heads after them to figure out why, leaving those behind a detailed set of instructions on where to deploy construction supplies and equipment for when the real work will begin.

At the ledge she catches up to the others ”Taking a look around is fine, but we don't want to get to far away from the site until we have some kind of defenses built to fall back on when something unfriendly is discovered.”

On the ledge, Tacita peered down and let a pebble drop, counting the moments it takes to reach the bottom. Here she was in her element, and here eyes twinkled with excitement.

The young delve greeted Nalla with a smile and a wave. In response to wright, she held up her hand.
A misty image formed, with the campsite at it's centre. The two craftsmen were sitting on the ground facing each other. They were sulking, with their arm's crossed and  dark thunderclouds over their heads. Besides the image of the campsite, a new image formed. The trio could be seen walking on the ledge, then into a cave and finally out of a cave into a field. There they found the other carpenter, bending over to pick up a daisy. Only when they return with the craftsman, do the others stand-up and get back to work.

The young woman, shrugged in a 'what-can-you-do' kind of way, but was at the same time visibly excited to continue. She strapped her spear on her back and moved onto the ledge, following it wherever it led.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:46, Tue 21 Jan 2020.

Zalbane shakes her head.  "The carpenters won't work until we find Mustane, so we're in a bind.  There's a path here, and some kind of old bones at the bottom of the gorge, but I can't tell what sorts of creatures they're from.  There weren't tracks from Mustane's tent to here, but I thought we should check it out either way.  I want to go further down, no more than a half-hour down and back, to see if there's any trace.  If not, I'll be back up to help search the woods where the rest of the carpenters went," she says.

Zalbane, with Tacita's help if she wishes, will do just that.  A half-hour's careful exploration of the path down the gorge for any sign of Mustane.  If there is nothing, return to the surface and seek another route.

Tacita paused and nodded hesitantly at Zalbane's suggestion, though she was a bit disappointed. She then held up one finger up for a moment and made a full round with that finger. After which she cocked her head and waiting expectingly. Perhaps she is suggestion one full hour?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:28, Tue 21 Jan 2020.

"That couldn't hurt.  I just hope he didn't wander in here, as I think something is or was living here..." Zalbane says, nodding in agreement.

As the trio edges along the path, they are sometimes startled by flying creatures from the opposite wall that scream as they flee their roosts.  With wingspans no greater than an arm's length, the birds are no threat by themselves.

The going is slow, due to the narrowness of the ledge and scarcity of handholds, as well as loose rocks that can make for slippery footing.  But as the group is nearing the half hour mark in their trek, a change in the path can be seen ahead.  The path widens, not out into the gorge, but deeper into the rock.  The beginnings of a larger cave can be seen, with the "ceiling" at least seven feet above the surface of the ledge.  Due to the curving of the gorge, little more is evident from this vantage point.

OOC: I understand the "marching order" along the ledge to be first Zalbane, Tacita, and Nalla bringing up the rear.  Correct?

Zalbane points.  "Well, that's a likely place, if Mustane was taken, lured, or for some reason decided to come here on his own.  I'd like to check inside."  She looks back at her companions and says, "I can make an object of light, a sword, a simple tool, a shield, any single solid object no bigger than me.  Would anyone like anything before we go in?"

Tacita gives a pondering nod at Zalbane's suggestion, thinks for a moment but then shakes her head. For a moment, a misty hourglass appears, which then fizzles into thin air

The young delve then steps forward, in front of Zalbane. She then seeks eye-contact, as if to seek approval of this arrangement. Reaching back, the young woman retrieves her spear from her back and holds it in her hand, ready to proceed.

OOC: Tacita whishes to be in front of the group

Content to hang back and be in the better position to see anything that happens Nalla doesn't see any reason to engage in the contest for taking point.  ”We need to get this done, and get back to what matters, don't make a lot of noise but we don't have time to sneak through here slowly.”

The overhang deepens into a cave and the ledge does not go past it, at least not in any traverse-able way.  There are occasional marks in the dirt that might have been footprints at one point, but they've been scoured by wind and dripping water and the occasional passage of small creatures scuttling in the dark.

The cave narrows some as it leads deeper into the rock, but there it is still easy for the trio to pass one at a time.  The path is largely level.  If it slopes at all, it slopes upward just barely.  From their current vantage point, there is only darkness ahead and the tunnel bends a bit to the left, obscuring the view.

Zalbane raises her light to illuminate the way further, and urges Tacita to go on so they can see more and what might be lurking.  "Aye, let's quickly check out what we can, then we can return.  A few bends more, to see if there is a place of interest or intrigue or danger where Mustane might have wandered," she says to Nalla.

Tacita moved on.

Being completely in her element, and absorbed by the rush of exploration and discovery, she was unconcerned with sneaking or being careful. Instead she looked around as if on a tour, feeling the excitement of being somewhere she never threaded before.

As the group moves deeper into the cave, they encounter a few more twists in the passage, but no apparent dangers, side tunnels, nor signs of recent activity.  After several minutes of exploration the group does encounter something that seems very out of place.

Before them, filling the entire passage, is a transparent barrier of glowing energy.  Beyond it is a room that is manufactured and well lit.  On the far side of the room, perhaps twenty feet beyond the barrier, appears to be a door that is closed and seems to have no handle or control panel.

"Oh ho ho, what have we here?" Zalbane says, eyeing the glowing wall with interest.  She idly slaps a small ocher patch on her skin, releasing more knowledge into her mind.  She examines the wall carefully, trying to find a way to shut it down or bypass it safely.

OOC: Activating cypher to give me training in Understanding Numenera, now making me specialized in that skill.
18:42, Today: Zalbane rolled 7 using 1d20.  Understanding Numenera (S) 1E. (1E is for free due to having 3 Edge in Intellect)
This message was last edited by the player at 00:43, Sun 26 Jan 2020.

There is no switch or trigger that Zalbane can see, although there could easily be one in the room on the other side, out of view.  That would suggest that the room can only be accessed (and exited) by people already inside it, or who come from the other side of the door on the far side.

As the others come to a stop Nalla closes the distance to the obstruction that stopped them, then takes a look at the wall of energy and surrounding contraptions.  ”Lets try the easy way.”  Without so much as an indication of what that might be she sticks her hand into the field of energy.

Nalla is able to reach out and touch the field.  The tactile sensation is like that of warm, glazed tiles: smooth and unyielding.  The transparency of the barrier clouds to a milky orange tone around where she makes contact.  While she is able to absorb energy from the door, there is no change in the permeability of the field, nor in its overall energy level, as much as she is able to tell.

Tacita approached the barrier with curiosity. At first the poked the barrier with her spear, lightly at first, then with a bit more force. Then she threw a knife at it, curious what the effect would be.

She then turned to her companions and pointed at a wristband she wore on her left arm.
A misty image formed. It showed Tacita manipulating the wristband in front of the barrier. Suddenly she shifts, leaving a cloud behind. Then she reappears behind the barrier.

The delve looked at her companions, almost asking for their input.

Tacita's explorations find a rigid, impermeable surface.  Where physical contact is made, the same change in color/brightness as Nalla found is noticed.  The thrown knife merely bounces off and clatters to the cave floor.

re: Alberic

Alberic leaps through the shimmering silver portal, a sensation akin to the finest silk gently caressing.  This does not prepare him, at all, to slam face-first into a large tree trunk.


Looking around as he uses his fingers to check if his nose is bleeding, Alberic quickly finds Mustane (rubbing a scuffed cheek), squatted down in the leaf litter and looking around.  He smiles (almost failing to stifle an outright laugh) and waves Alberic over to him.  Even as he looks around, Alberic sees the last remnants of the portal he just exited disappear.

"We need to wait here a few minutes.  Them exys has some such they need to finish before we can go."

"Oooph!" Alberic crumples onto the floor as he reels back from the tree. He gingerly feels his nose, and finds not blood but thick black fluid on his fingers. He sighs, crudely prods the side of his nose back into place with an unpleasant mechanical crunch, then picks up his clock hand crutch, and stumbles to his feet. He limps over to Mustane. "Fair enough. 'Tis good to be back in our home dimension. Er, what did you agree with the Exigen, exactly?"

At the camp...

Mustane just holds a finger in front of his lips.  "Sshhhhh..."  He waits and listens.  He touches the leaves, sticks, and pebbles of the forest floor and smiles.

Beyond the newly arrived pair, Alberic can hear the sounds of the forest.  Birds and bugs chirping and clicking.  Small animals leaping from branch to leafy branch in the canopy.  Alberic is no naturalist, but judging by the season, he's been away from the Steadfast for at least six months, maybe longer.

Suddenly, from about 100 yards away, there is a brief shout of surprise.  A tiny ripple of silver forms in the air between Alberic and Mustane.  From it, a small lavendar crystal falls.  The shimmer vanishes.

Mustane picks up the crystal.  "There.  It's done.  Let's go to camp.  I'll introduce ya to me pals."  He stands and begins to walk in the direction the shout came from.

- - - - - - - - -

In the cave ...

Tacita awaits her companions input on her suggestion of using a cypher to teleport beyond the barrier.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:57, Thu 30 Jan 2020.

In the gorge in the cave



Zalbane nods enthusiastically.  "That sounds perfect!  Give it a try!"