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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 20, 2019 20:47:09 GMT -6
Fiera decided that she had to know what was behind this pile. She let Viridia get settled, and began to tear away at the rocks. If whoever left this pile here was anything like her, that gap at the top of the pile was on purpose. She couldn't see where the rocks would have come from either. There was no gap in the ceiling after all. Which meant that there was actually a very good chance that there was something under this pile. Whether it was a cache of gemstones that they hadn't had time to bring with them, or a hole they wanted to keep to themselves, she didn't know. bShe yanked as many rocks as she could, tossing them down the hall behind her. A lot of these rocks were very heavy though- and she had already broken a nail today! Those combined led Fiera to decide to try a different technique.
FF: 2 Viridia: 16.2 Lv/ 16.2 Lo [Post 82]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 20, 2019 21:06:21 GMT -6
She lifted her pick axe out of her bag. This was going to make it go a lot faster. She hooked it into a large boulder, and levered it out of the way. It rolled down the pile, and Viridia scuttled away, barely noticing its presence. Already, this was proving useful. Soon, rocks were tumbling down the slope, and while the hall was becoming a major tripping hazard, the pile was getting smaller and smaller every minute. Soon, she had torn down the top of the pile and sure enough- a faint light shone from the top. Fiera couldn't quite tell where it was coming from, but it certainly wasn't from the local lanterns. That meant that she was right! There was something hidden beyond the pile! Probably another tunnel! That only hastened her actions, and she became a well oiled pick axing machine, with rocks flying left and right.
FF: 3 Viridia: 16.3 Lv/ 16.3 Lo [Post 83]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 20, 2019 21:23:28 GMT -6
She finally stopped to take a breath. The entrance she had unveiled before in her wild mining was partially opened up now. The source of the light was now perfectly clear. There was indeed a hidden passage, and it was lined with strings of electric lights, linked up to a huge battery hidden under the rubble. Someone had clearly put a lot of effort into hiding this. And Fiera felt absolutely no guilt as she prepared to plunder whatever it was they felt the need to hide. The light was bright and fluorescent, nearly blue in tinge, casting harsh light over the inside of the tunnel. That made it look more ominous than the other tunnels... Or perhaps it was the knowledge that she definitely wasn't wanted there. Regardless, it didn't stop her from vibrating with excitement, as there was little on this planet that made Fiera feel truly threatened.
FF: 4 Viridia: 16.4 Lv/16.3 Lo [Post 84]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 20, 2019 21:32:22 GMT -6
Fiera strode into the breach, filled with purpose. Even if that purpose was just "plunder this private tunnel of every single shiny object it had". Viridia followed after cautiously, blinking and shaking her head with irritation in the strange light. Fiera supposed that the gem wyrm wasn't used to artificial light. Heck, she wasn't even used to real light, being a cave dwelling creature and all. But at least the softer lanterns outside were easier on the eyes (or crystalline approximations) for everyone involved. The harsh, bright light of these lanterns even made Fiera's eyes feel a little strained. They did work to light up every part of the cave though, leading left off of the main branch. She crept slowly- this territory was unfamiliar, and she hardly wanted to injure herself in an area that she definitely knew was empty right now. No help would be coming if she got hurt.
FF: 5 Viridia: 17.0 Lv/17.0 Lo [Post 85]
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Post by Lethalia on Jul 20, 2019 21:44:29 GMT -6
A handsome black stone gleams in the unnatural light of the lanterns, somewhere nearby.
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 23, 2019 7:05:00 GMT -6
Letting her gaze sweep over the rocks, something finally caught her eye in the loose rubble of the cavern. She was amazed she saw it in this place- the electric lights were about the only 'modern' part of this cave, the rest of it incredibly... quaint. Most of the tunnel was very, VERY roughly hewn rock, clearly carved out by someone who was going for speed, not quality. It was also someone shorter than her too- she had to flatten her ears back to avoid scraping them off along the roof of the tunnel. The lights were held into the wall with haphazard but deep strokes. The floor was littered with stray rocks, and Fiera realized that it must have been very easy to block off the entrance like that. But what she saw in the rubble was the most interesting part, as she leaned down to pick it up.
FF: 6 Viridia: 17.1 Lv/17.1 Lo [Post 86]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 23, 2019 18:57:37 GMT -6
She smiled as she rolled it over in her hand. It was smooth and glossy to the touch, with a high amount of reflectivity. One might think that it was just a rock, but its distinctive gleam and dark black color revealed it to her as onyx. Or uh, at least she thought it was. Could be just a shiny black rock, but she had known miners before so. What she said went. If it wasn't onyx before, it was now. Regardless, she threw down her bag and opened up the pocket she was keeping her gemstones in. It fit perfectly. She noted her sandwiches as well- yeah, those wouldn't be able to take another encounter with a creature, not now that a tunnel worm had eaten the bacon right out of them. They were now just...lettuce and tomato sandwiches. Which really didn't sound all that appealing to Fiera.
FF: 7 Viridia: 17.2 Lv/17.2 Lo [Post 87]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 23, 2019 19:17:47 GMT -6
Honestly, the sandwiches were getting to be a bit mushy now anyway. It might be worth her time to just feed them to some cave critter in their entirety and go home for something to eat. To tell the truth, Fiera was getting a little tired of mining anyway, at least for today. Her arms hurt as well as her back (thought she was loathe to admit that part). She'd probably keep going for a little bit longer, but after that it was time to explore this tunnel... well, some other time. She supposed, however, that it was at least worth it to see where it led. That was especially true now that she knew that there were gems in here- that onyx could be the sign of much bigger and better treasures! She forged ahead, keeping an eye on the ground. And on the walls. And ceiling. Everywhere, really.
FF: 8 Viridia: 17.3 Lv/17.3 Lo [Post 88]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 23, 2019 19:24:04 GMT -6
Fiera glanced back at her gem wyrm. At least Viridia didn't seem tired. Though... Fiera couldn't help but wonder if it was even possible for a gem familiar to get tired. They were already made of rock, weren't they? So different from the normal definition of "life". She was amazed that Viridia even needed to eat- was sleep still applicable? Her movements were calculated, nigh artificial. It seemed like she wasn't really a living creature so much as a carefully made fascimile of one. Once again, Fiera wondered if creatures like her were natural, or introduced to the mines from The Labs' meddling. She had the luck of seeing at least one organic creature down here- and making friends with it! Well, as much as someone could make friends with a worm at least. That proved that organic creatures could survive down here...but if so, why wasn't there more?
FF: 9 Viridia: 17.4 Lv/17.4 Lo [Post 89]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Jul 23, 2019 19:28:48 GMT -6
As she thought though, the lights flickered. "Oh... that's not... good." Fiera said, as the flickering increased in frequency. She turned to Viridia, who seemed unruffled by it. Of course she would be though, she was a cave dwelling creature. Fiera turned around... just as the lights turned off. "Crap!" Fiera hissed, feeling her tail puff up. She tugged on Viridia's rop and stumbled her way back toward the front of the tunnel. Every couple of seconds it seemed she would stub her toe on another rock. Why did the lights have to go out NOW! Did they know she was trespassing or something? She growled to herself quietly. Great. As she finally reached the mouth of the tunnel, she looked at the battery pack that was running the lights. Where as before there was a cheerful green light glowing on the side, now it was blank. Fiera sighed. Guess that was her confirmation that it was time to go home. ((This trip has ended, Fiera goes back with her familiar and findings. )) FF: 10 Viridia: 18.0 Lv/18.0 Lo [Post 90]
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Post by Renathan on Jul 23, 2019 19:31:51 GMT -6
Sadly, there doesn't appear to be anything to snag on the way out; but a nice fresh breeze brings a nice promise of future opportunities.
[Nothing happens]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Aug 2, 2019 16:28:53 GMT -6
Fiera strode into the mines, hyped and ready to go, with a confident pep in her step. She had just finished up buying the last of her mining equipment set from The Underground with the addition of a shovel and a flashlight. A major problem she had before was that after she got a certain depth into the mine, she just plain couldn't see. Once the publicly placed lanterns ran out, she was forced to turn around and go home again. Well, that would be the case no longer she thought, flipping the flashlight in one hand. Now she could mine and see at the same hand. The shovel was also a welcome addition, letting her plow through softer substrate with ease, as opposed to trying to bang it away with a mallet or scoop it out with her old pickax. The very idea of trying to do that was embarrassing.
Fiera: 1 Algol: Lv. 4.1/Lo 4.1 [Post 1]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Aug 2, 2019 16:42:53 GMT -6
She also had another new piece of equipment to add to her collection, though this one wasn't from The Underground. No, she had gotten this piece from a contest or competition of sorts for mining up a certain amount of gems in one month. She pulled it along behind her now, watching as its smooth wheels went up and down easily over the lumps and bumps of the floors of the mines. It was a mine cart of sorts. Not the kind that goes on a track and is filled with coal, but instead like a treasure chest on wheels, which would allow her to store an even greater amount of spoils. With its fine wood and shiny metal, she was quite proud of it, and was prepared to make the most of it down here. With any luck, she'd be digging up more valuables than ever before.
Fiera: 2 Algol: Lv. 4.2/Lo 4.2 [Post 2]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Aug 2, 2019 16:48:44 GMT -6
And of course, she had her traveling companion. Viridia had worked with her owner all last month, and Fiera had decided to give the jade gem wyrm a bit of a vacation to rest and recuperate. She deserved it, no matter how many gems she had found Fiera. In her place, she had brought Algol. He was her sarane hatchling, and his age certainly showed as he bounced through the tunnels of the mines like a particularly sharp puppy. She had already taught him some basic tricks so that he would behave down here, but she wanted to spend more time with him. He was growing quickly after all, and the more he liked her by the time he grew up, the better. He would at least be an amiable companion while she worked, keeping her entertained with his antics, even if he wasn't particularly helpful in actually mining goodies.
Fiera: 3 Algol: Lv. 4.3/Lo 4.3 [Post 3]
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Post by Fiera Ferella on Aug 2, 2019 16:51:19 GMT -6
Even now he was "running" in circles around her, which actually meant that he was trying to run but falling all over his own disproportionate, clumsy limbs. Fiera thought it was hilarious, personally- like watching a puppy trip on its own overly large ears. Still, she had to be careful not to step on him as even with his clumsiness he was still trying to find ways to get underfoot. She gently nudged him away with one foot, and thought about where she was going to actually go next in the mines. Last month she had left off with a secret tunnel she had found behind a false rockfall. It was clearly a personal tunnel that someone was trying to conceal, as you couldn't lay claim to specific parts of the mine. Fiera had explored it for only a few minutes before the generator powering the lamps in there ran out of power.
Fiera: 4 Algol: Lv. 4.4/Lo 4.4 [Post 4]
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