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Post by Emery on Jun 15, 2023 8:56:05 GMT -6
Encounters: Off Looking for: Order Crystal
Current Pet:
MoxieLevel 34 | Loyalty 34 Stats: Stamina: 6 +1 Strength: 9 Resistance: 5 Dexterity: 4 Mentality: 1 Special Abilities: Acid Fang, Assimilate, Chlorophyll Moves: Bite, Fire Spout, Deceptive Lure, Devour, Sweet Scent Knows: Name (1), Follow (1), No (1)
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 10:43:19 GMT -6
With the meagre amount of credits she had scraped up over the past couple of months, Emery had managed to acquire some tools and had managed to at least partially train Argos to assist her in mining, but she still felt like she was flailing in the dark... perhaps literally, in a few hours. She had done her research on general masonry and had picked out the tools that were most likely to be immediately useful for her down here. So she wasn't entirely unprepared, but she was in at an awkward halfway point between hilariously unprepared and fully qualified, which left her at... just sort of awkwardly there. She peered down into the gloom of the mines, with other miners parting around her. Only a few shot her glances, but whether or not it was because of her odd appearance or odd behavior she wasn't sure. All it would take was a few steps, and she'd be in.
Emery 1 Argos 7.1/7.1 1
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:13:22 GMT -6
And yet, her mind couldn't help but go over all the different ways she could be hurt doing this. A simple trip would be enough to end her, but... that was always the case, wasn't it? She glanced to her right. On a simple lead, Argos was practically straining at the bit- as much as a creature like him could, anyway. He never seemed to show much emotion or tension, as stonelike as his body and expression were. But she could see that he was leaning forwards more than usual, towards that black abyss. But of course he was- this was the home he had been harvested from moons ago. And here Emery was, bringing him back to the place of his creation... albeit temporarily, as she only had the time (and more likely, the energy) to stay for just a couple hours, after which they would begin the trek back up to the surface.
Emery 2 Argos 7.2/7.2 2
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:15:59 GMT -6
It was for the best. He might not be staying for long, but she was granting him a new purpose in life. She had gifted him a name, and had already taught him how to dig more efficiently. And that was only the start of his training- she was sure she could teach him many more things, give him so many more freedoms than he would have had beneath the earth. She was doing good. But for that to happen... she actually had to get started with mining. "Ready to go, Argos?" She said. He tilted his head towards her briefly- he knew his name, but not much else yet. Her words were meaningless to him... for now. Not wanting to waste any more time though, (and not wanting any more odd looks), Emery finally stepped forward past the mouth of the mine shaft, out of the sun and into the dark.
Emery 3 Argos 7.3/7.3 3
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:18:25 GMT -6
It didn't stay dark for long. Emery's vision adjusted quickly. The tunnel was wide and the floor was smooth. This was one of the most popular entrances after all, so it had been mined, smoothed out, and reinforced for years now as hundreds of miners came in and out every day. Emery was happy to take advantage of the easy walk- she knew it wouldn't be for long. The wide mouth of the tunnel meant that some sunlight followed them in for several dozen feet, but by the time it finally petered out the lamps that had been pinned to the wall had long since taken over. They turned the light surrounding Emery from white to yellow, though she hardly minded the difference. They were electric lamps for now, each one connected by wires that snaked off to a generative source unknown to her. She knew kerosene lamps were still in use in some deeper part of the mines.
Emery 4 Argos 7.4/7.4 4
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:21:03 GMT -6
She knew that the deeper she went, the rougher things were going to be, but with a greater chance of finding something valuable. It was just a matter of how much risk and effort Emery was willing to put in for that reward. For her first trip down here, she figured she probably shouldn't push her luck too much. Better to get a few cheap trinkets that would get her the rest of the way to proper equipment than break an ankle. She just had to find a nice, quiet, picked over area that she could carve a new little tunnel out of.
Finally, Emery and Argos reached the bottom of the main mine shaft, stepping into a wide room. The path had wound back and forth under the earth such that Emery figured that they were probably somewhere directly under the initial entrance they had stepped into, just several dozen feet down.
Emery 5 Argos 8.0/8.0 5
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:23:16 GMT -6
The room itself was nondescript. She suspected that it wasn't 'designed' as such a room and, more importantly, was not designed for anything at all. Instead, she figured that it had been carved out organically, with miners making more space for themselves as they gathered up their findings to bring above or wait for their companions to arrive or catch up from down below. Even now she saw several people milling about, taking breaks or making conversation. She had no interest in such a thing, but the unintentional purpose of this room made it a central hub of sorts for the rest of the mines. As a result, there were several tunnels leading away from it, some better lit than others. Emery felt the pocket that she had placed her new flashlight in- she had just bought it, but its time to shine (literally) might be sooner than she had initially thought.
Emery 6 Argos 8.1/8.1 6
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:42:36 GMT -6
She lingered for a moment longer, weighing her options. She looked at the presence of electricity in each tunnel, the width of its mouth, the type of stone and how well carved it looked. Her mind was doing a mental balancing act between "untouched" and "actually maneuverable" to try and decide which one she preferred more. Ultimately however, it was Argos who made the decision. She felt a gentle tug on the lead and found that while she had been deliberating, her gargoyle appeared to have already made a decision. While she hadn't seen or heard him move, he was at the end of his lead, looking towards a particular tunnel to their right. It was small, but still tall enough for her to stand up in, with only a single oil lamp suspended from a stick out front. "...Are you sure?" Emery said, a bit apprehensive at the sight of it.
Emery 7 Argos 8.2/8.2 7
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:44:50 GMT -6
It wasn't the kind of tunnel she would have picked but Argos was, by definition, better at this than she was. So Emery decided to take his word for it (so to speak) and approached the mouth of the tunnel. Argos matched her pace perfectly, marching towards the entrance, and Emery decided to let him lead the way... though she did click on her flashlight for safety's sake. She wished she had one of the hard hats they had for sale at The Underground, but she had ultimately decided to go without. She preferred to purchase actual equipment she could use to dig with as there wasn't much purpose in going down into the mines without it. Only very rarely were gems just out in the open where someone could simply pick them up off the ground, and the grand majority required some sort of work to wrestle them free.
Emery 8 Argos 8.3/8.3 8
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:53:24 GMT -6
Besides, the casing around her head that supported her screen should do well enough in a pinch. She had designed it that way, after all. She would still get a hard hat in the future- it couldn't hurt- but for now she figured she could probably go without so long as she was careful. Speaking of, she regular shone from left to right with her flashlight, keeping herself updated on her surroundings. Argos seemingly didn't even need it, forging ahead without any response to the flashlight at all, but Emery still needed it. There wasn't much of note in this tunnel, dark as it was, but she could feel grit beneath her feet- sand. So this must be a tunnel through sedimentary stone, then. Perhaps not ideal for finding volcanic mineral deposits like raw quartz crystals, but there was always a chance that something like that could have been washed into the stream this stone was several million years ago.
Emery 9 Argos 8.4/8.4 9
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 11:58:30 GMT -6
Not to mention any stones she could find here would come pre-tumbled and polished, which would save her some time and money in cleaning them up before selling them. Plus, sedimentary stone was notoriously soft. Even she would likely be able to break through it for the purposes of mining. "...Hm. Acceptable. Good choice, Argos." She said, praising her mining familiar. But if he heard her, Argos didn't show it, still walking inexorably down the tunnel on all fours. She knew he could walk on two legs but apparently he only did so when he wasn't in a hurry, as he seemed quite eager to get to the end now. He didn't outpace her though- she could still walk at her own slow pace with some comfort, but she dared not pause and risk breaking his focus. There was something down here, and he seemed quite eager to find it.
Emery 10 Argos 9.0/9.0 10
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 12:11:36 GMT -6
As they walked, the floor got grittier and grittier, until it... stopped being gritty, and gave her a lot more resistance. Emery was now outright walking in sand. She noticed that the structure of the walls changed as well. Before they were relatively uniform, the tool marks of miners past obvious, but now they were gently flowing in and out, like the current of an unseen stream. That is to say... at some point, Emery had passed into a more natural part of the mines, going from a mineshaft to a natural cave. Were it not for the floor being covered in actual sand, she hardly would have noticed the difference. As she passed the flashlight over the sand, she spotted little lumps in it. There were round pebbles interspersed amongst the grains- likely larger stones that weren't broken down into sand entirely and had weathered their way back out of the rock again.
Emery 11 Argos 9.1/9.1 11
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 12:42:19 GMT -6
That was a good sign for her. She didn't see anything valuable yet- mostly little bits and pieces of ordinary rock, but it meant that if there was anything harder and more impressive down here, it wouldn't be too difficult for her to spot... provided that it wasn't hidden under the sand. But at least she had brought a shovel for that... though this didn't seem to be the right place to start digging. She looked up, shining the flashlight on Argos. He was still pulling forward, leading her to somewhere unknown. "I hope you know where you're going, Argos." She noted, but as usual the creature gave no response. Soon they came to a fork in the path however, and Argos finally slowed to a stop. Instead of shining the flashlight down either path, Emery kept it trained on Argos, curious about what he would do next. He rarely showed this much body language, after all.
Emery 12 Argos 9.2/9.2 12
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 12:47:35 GMT -6
Argos tilted his head one way and then the other, but not quite like he was "looking" down either path- his eye sockets were just as empty as usual. It was more like he was... considering some unknown trait that Emery couldn't guess. The runes drawn across his hide flickered rapidly, with different parts of them pulsing at different times. Did they perform a particular function...? Whatever he did worked however, because he quickly chose a path afterwards. Argos didn't even hesitate, simply turning on his heel and continuing at the exact same pace as before down the path on the right. Emery had no clue how he did that, but she had to admit it fascinated her. If only such an ability could be obtained by more mundane individuals, it would certainly make the world a lot richer. Both... in terms of technology and culture, but she supposed in gemstones as well.
Emery 13 Argos 9.3/9.3 13
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Post by Emery on Aug 9, 2023 14:50:46 GMT -6
Emery noticed that he WAS moving faster now, however. Wherever they were going, they seemed to be getting close. Emery did notice that walls getting wider around them- and before she could even finish that thought, she almost tripped on the sand under her feet getting suddenly deeper. She regretted it immediately- she'd have a tough time getting the grains out of her socks later. It was too late now though- she could already feel the sand getting into her boots and between her toes. She grumbled a bit in distaste inside her helmet before finally looking up to see where they were. Immediately, she noticed that Argos had stopped moving, instead having turned to look at her. "I suppose that means we're there, then." She said, opting to interpret his blank expression in favorable terms. As she turned her flashlight around her further though, she supposed that she would have figured it out sooner or later- it was a dead end.
Emery 14 Argos 9.4/9.4 14
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