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01: Outside Barrier Report!
Good morning, everyone!
A few weeks ago, Somnus, Noctis, and I were granted permission to explore northward beyond the walls and barrier. Please see the attached files as to what we've discovered:
[ 1. A video of the outside, recorded on their communicator. Beyond the barrier, as most may have already seen from previous recordings, is a wasteland with a thick, caustic atmosphere. Visibility is low, but not terrible. The video is mostly the three of them traveling along with their NPC guide, Calda. The video cuts to various segments of their travels, some of which show either Noctis or Somnus warping ahead or above to keep surveillance, although it might be difficult to determine which one is which from far away in their exosuits and helmets. Another clip appears to be taken some distance from the barrier, zooming outward towards the wastes. Northward, it a eroded road extends out; in the distance, a shadow of what appears to be mountains loom.
2. An aerial map of the northern region just beyond the wall, composited from a series of photos taken at the same altitude. It shows a few decrepit, eroded buildings and roads, as if the city had extended well beyond where the barrier stands today. No craters mark the terrain, although some buildings might appear to be as if something knocked or crashed into them. The grooves surrounding the norther portion of the wall can also be spotted from this view.
3. A video of a skeletal behemoth with a flower growing outside of its skull...being totally demolished by a joint attack from Somnus and Noctis, fighting together in tandem. The monster ends up crumpling to the ground, spilling out an oily black substance between its cracking, dismanteling ribcage. Go them!
To find out more about these discoveries, continue reading below: ]
While visibility was low, we were able to travel out as far as our guide would permit us.
Some of us might recall the virtual reality "Memories of the Sun" program, in which participants were allowed to ascend a sacred mountain called Fractured Hill. This landmark was said to be north of the city. The VR did not have any indication of the city when looking soutward upon the summit for Havenwell; however, looking out northward beyond the barrier in reality, there appears to be a mountain range in the distance.
We've discovered that deep grooves track inward towards the walls, and these grooves apparently surround the entirety of the city's wall. Together with the evidence of buildings and roads beyond the current barrier, we suspect that these markings might indicate that the wall was originally at a greater radius from the citycenter, encompassing more area than what it does today. For whatever reason, it's been scaled back from its original position.
We entered some of the more stable-appearing towers and buildings, looking for artifacts and anything that appeared to be electronics, or metalwares. Unfortunately, most of what we've discovered was too fragile to return with us. Almost everything disintegrated whenever we attempted to hold them.
The skeletal creature we encountered was dead; however, the flower atop of its skull, the poinsettia, was, and still is, alive. The roots shrivel when the flower is severed from the skeleton, which breaks apart without the network that integrates it. This creature also produced a caustic, concentrated dark substance. This substance may contain toxin which produces the same illness-like symptoms many of us may have experienced near the breach of the barrier.
On a similarly related note, Besithia was able to lend me a few samples of the gigarachnids' black fluid found within their bodies, which I was able to analyze. This fluid is mostly their blood, which seems to be a darker color to begin with, but under further scrutiny, it appears to contain a toxin. This toxin appears to have mutated the arachnids. Similarly, when exposed to this toxin, it produces symptoms that mimic an inflammatory response: malaise, cough, chills, and fever.
I believe that the sickness that one feels when being exposed to the outside environment is not produced by an infectious, living organism, but by the very same toxin found in these creatures. This toxin is carried in the atmosphere, which explains that mere exposure to the outside atmosphere is enough to inflict an adverse reaction that mimics an illness. This "illness" cannot be fully cured by medicine or magic, or at least not by any I'm yet aware of. For those of you who are new to this world, the current treatment we have for these symptoms is through physical touch, and this works to alleviate the illness in as little as a few minutes of contact.
Noctis and I will be available to answer any questions regarding the expedition, the samples gathered, or the process for petitioning an expedition beyond the barrier and what preparations to take.
A few weeks ago, Somnus, Noctis, and I were granted permission to explore northward beyond the walls and barrier. Please see the attached files as to what we've discovered:
[ 1. A video of the outside, recorded on their communicator. Beyond the barrier, as most may have already seen from previous recordings, is a wasteland with a thick, caustic atmosphere. Visibility is low, but not terrible. The video is mostly the three of them traveling along with their NPC guide, Calda. The video cuts to various segments of their travels, some of which show either Noctis or Somnus warping ahead or above to keep surveillance, although it might be difficult to determine which one is which from far away in their exosuits and helmets. Another clip appears to be taken some distance from the barrier, zooming outward towards the wastes. Northward, it a eroded road extends out; in the distance, a shadow of what appears to be mountains loom.
2. An aerial map of the northern region just beyond the wall, composited from a series of photos taken at the same altitude. It shows a few decrepit, eroded buildings and roads, as if the city had extended well beyond where the barrier stands today. No craters mark the terrain, although some buildings might appear to be as if something knocked or crashed into them. The grooves surrounding the norther portion of the wall can also be spotted from this view.
3. A video of a skeletal behemoth with a flower growing outside of its skull...being totally demolished by a joint attack from Somnus and Noctis, fighting together in tandem. The monster ends up crumpling to the ground, spilling out an oily black substance between its cracking, dismanteling ribcage. Go them!
To find out more about these discoveries, continue reading below: ]
While visibility was low, we were able to travel out as far as our guide would permit us.
Some of us might recall the virtual reality "Memories of the Sun" program, in which participants were allowed to ascend a sacred mountain called Fractured Hill. This landmark was said to be north of the city. The VR did not have any indication of the city when looking soutward upon the summit for Havenwell; however, looking out northward beyond the barrier in reality, there appears to be a mountain range in the distance.
We've discovered that deep grooves track inward towards the walls, and these grooves apparently surround the entirety of the city's wall. Together with the evidence of buildings and roads beyond the current barrier, we suspect that these markings might indicate that the wall was originally at a greater radius from the citycenter, encompassing more area than what it does today. For whatever reason, it's been scaled back from its original position.
We entered some of the more stable-appearing towers and buildings, looking for artifacts and anything that appeared to be electronics, or metalwares. Unfortunately, most of what we've discovered was too fragile to return with us. Almost everything disintegrated whenever we attempted to hold them.
The skeletal creature we encountered was dead; however, the flower atop of its skull, the poinsettia, was, and still is, alive. The roots shrivel when the flower is severed from the skeleton, which breaks apart without the network that integrates it. This creature also produced a caustic, concentrated dark substance. This substance may contain toxin which produces the same illness-like symptoms many of us may have experienced near the breach of the barrier.
On a similarly related note, Besithia was able to lend me a few samples of the gigarachnids' black fluid found within their bodies, which I was able to analyze. This fluid is mostly their blood, which seems to be a darker color to begin with, but under further scrutiny, it appears to contain a toxin. This toxin appears to have mutated the arachnids. Similarly, when exposed to this toxin, it produces symptoms that mimic an inflammatory response: malaise, cough, chills, and fever.
I believe that the sickness that one feels when being exposed to the outside environment is not produced by an infectious, living organism, but by the very same toxin found in these creatures. This toxin is carried in the atmosphere, which explains that mere exposure to the outside atmosphere is enough to inflict an adverse reaction that mimics an illness. This "illness" cannot be fully cured by medicine or magic, or at least not by any I'm yet aware of. For those of you who are new to this world, the current treatment we have for these symptoms is through physical touch, and this works to alleviate the illness in as little as a few minutes of contact.
Noctis and I will be available to answer any questions regarding the expedition, the samples gathered, or the process for petitioning an expedition beyond the barrier and what preparations to take.
no subject
Anyway, insert her and Somnus' address to their brand new house! The scaled up, and it even has a garage (unfortunately, without any current vehicles or spaceships).
When he arrives, she'll greet him at the door with open arms to lead him inside, which is barebones in terms of furniture. A few flowers sit upon a vase on the kitchen counter-top: an arrangement of pearl, blood-red, and indigo sylleblossoms of Eos. ]
It's better, to talk like this. [ She says, settled with him, however she's carrying or holding him this fine morning. If he has any outstanding questions, she'll allow him to voice them. ]
action!!
[It's just the kind of thing you say, of course. But no—as he says it he notes silently to himself, with some cool surprise, that his concern for her is genuine. She's a friend. And it's comfortable (and let us not forget profitable) in her arms.]
Re: action!!
[ Just as last time, and the time before than, her hand finds the top of his head for a short series of strokes and pats over his rounded form. ] Analysis does take time... and the primary sample of spider-ooze I've been working with had been collected five months ago.
[ So. She's been feeling this for a very long time. ]
no subject
[It's rare that Magolor slips into grumbly sarcasm around Pyra. He's usually pretty inclined to his bright, energetic, keen self around her. But for a moment, here it is: he rubs at one of his ears and grumps half under his breath. Is she serious? Even though it had sidestepped giving him an exact figure, it does tell him enough to complain about.
After that moment, he waves it off, though he doesn't quite return to his usual cheer. This is what lies under it, and he sees no reason to pull the cover back up yet.]
Well, whatever. If it really does fade that easily, it is what it is. But I see now why you were wondering about long-term exposure. Did you guys consult any of the natives on your work? I'm going to guess that's a no if Chief was your research partner.
no subject
And as for his second question... Actually. ]
I'm going to need you to keep a secret from him... and perhaps others regarding a little bit of this research. May I count on you, for this?
[ Seeing that he is already calling himself emissary and appears to have good ties with the locals, she believes she can, hence, why she called him specifically here. ]
no subject
[Of course the prospect of a secret, and of more information period, perks him up again immediately. And Magolor's relationship with Verstael is a complicated one; he likes the man just fine, and yet also will take a very real pleasure in withholding information from him. He knows Verstael would feel the same way about him.]
no subject
You're aware that a number of us here do not completely trust the locals, correct?
[ And this mistrust seems to be on a spectrum from cautious to hiding entire projects. It's reasonable to have, really, and this isn't to say that Pyra herself doesn't have doubts. ] The samples acquired from beyond the barrier... We turned all of them in to the locals first. In return, they handed me a report, as well as the samples back. What I passed to Verstael were only a sampling of two out of five we acquired-- just the soil and a bit of the air. The flower, the skull of the creature, and the ooze I've kept for myself to examine further.
I do not completely believe that not working with the locals is the best course of action to take... And I know that some here, Verstael included, might not be open to that idea.
no subject
I see. Well, for what it's worth, I think you did the right thing! We don't have to trust them entirely to work with them. And we don't have to tell them everything we know, either . . . but if you ask me, if they wanted to know every single move we made, they could. They have more power over us than they pretend they do. That means it's to our benefit to maintain relations with them and make use of their knowledge—you know, to a reasonable extent! I'm not about to run to them with anything that's off the record.
no subject
I plan to investigate more into what we've found beyond the barrier. [ Or try to, because there is very little else she can discover at the moment. ] Is there anything you would like me to analyze from the samples in particular?
no subject
[Though, in his experience, that's the case everywhere. It's one of the realities of the universe, the close tie between them. And part of him wonders now if the toxin they're investigating is related to Dark Matter at all—but probably not, right? Well, who knows?]
no subject
Not... dark energy. But there is energy in this world that I've only been able to detect when linking with another-- Honerva, if you've met her. This energy, we've found, is tied to the barrier. We've mostly associated it with divinity. It's taken some time, but we have determined that there are four signatures to this energy that converge into one band. Mostly, we've assumed that each signature belongs to one of the four deities as they fluctuate during each month. [ Although, they haven't monitored the barrier-energy this month or the previous one because Pyra has been trying to be a good, law-abiding citizen since she needs to engage in other projects. ] If you are wondering, the signatures of the energy are complementary to each other. No anti-particle or negative function appears to exist to negate it.
[ At least, from what they've been able to detect so far. ]
If a dark energy exists, it's probably beyond this barrier, and undetectable to us.