>>929731
Because Gav brought it up, duh.

Water last, find weapon artifacts from the Earth room.

If you're doing a full sweep and have knowledge of what would be easiest for you, do that first. Fire.

Narcissism would be my bet. Jock thinks Fender is like himself. What was the elder like at that age?

Check out Air, you could get along pretty well with that element.

Fire. It's your native element and we might as well get it out of the way now.

Tell Fendas to go check out the water lab.

1/3 Nalene 2019/05/03(Fri)18:02 No. 931877 ID: 562771
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Fire it is. The door to the fire room is a solid sheet of fire proof ceramic. One touch is all that's needed to activate it, but it automatically locks down when it detects any plasma or superheated air through the doorway. A simple hand press is all that's needed to open the door and ensure that there's nothing to incinerate you on the other side.

I do not need to worry about that as much.

2/3 Nalene 2019/05/03(Fri)18:04 No. 931878 ID: 37d493
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The door slides open, revealing a modestly sized room, filled with simple machinery meant to control and study the nature of fire and its very recent cousin, electricity. Bunsen burners, ventilation, even canisters of oxygen and easily ignitable gases are strewn about with wild abandon. Above us, a gigantic funnel, which I assume is there for emergency ventilation purposes. Toxic fumes are always a concern underground after all. It's weird. How much infrastructure can a simple basement possess?

Over in the corner is a door to the summoning chamber and the thaumaturgical fire study, AKA the more magical studies of the True Flame, and nearby is... what the latest scientists call a "dynamo" in the past couple of months...? Whatever it is, it's a metal disc hooked up to a horseshoe magnet of some sort. Wait.

I can taste ash in the air, fresh...?

There's definitely something burning somewhere in here or in the other room, the smell is pervasive, however and I can't pinpoint exactly where it is. Normally there'd be foam runes that would activate if something that shouldn't be burning IS burning, but it seems like they're not active. Naturally, the foam would not affect fire manifestations such as myself. WHY there's something lit here is another question...

3/3 Nalene 2019/05/03(Fri)18:04 No. 931879 ID: 9abe9e
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I hear Fen carefully slide behind me, looking into the room, "You are familiar with fire labs, Nalene?"

"Yes I am Fen, why do you ask?" Fire labs tend to not require very much space, especially since most experiments tend to be small in order to be controlled. The thaumaturgy section is somewhat bigger, more in part due to the summoning circle, and maintaining the ideal conditions for a fire summoning.

"Well, as far as I know this place is all but deserted, and I can't imagine you want to step into a possibly derelict water lab, so perhaps I could check it out for you while you look around this place?"

>_

Perhaps he is not familiar with the buddy system. Hold him closer to help educate him on the benefits of having someone to watch your back!
Track down the fire suppressant systems first, then the source of the burning.

Someone's knocked some things on the floor? Check around those areas.

>>931879
Tell him that's a good idea but first you want his help finding the source of this smoke smell.

If either of you need help this early then it bodes very poorly for the mission. Split the party!

Grab a health and mana pot fuel and oxygen canister.

>>931879
Maybe we'll find something useful, like contained samples of the True Flame. The Dynamo is interesting, but unless we find something that requires a steady supply of electricity we can leave it here.

It seems like it's safest for now to stick together, since there's really no telling what might be going on down here. Not to mention that Pierre was acting a bit fishy, so it seems like there's something about all of this that he isn't telling you. When it comes time to check out the water lab, maybe you could just observe from a safe distance when Fendas goes in.

As for what to do here in the fire lab:
>investigate source of burning odor
>inspect/collect canisters on floor (be careful with the oxygen one, you are technically made of fire after all. Maybe have Fendas handle that one.)
>inspect small chest in the cubbyhole on the left
>have a general look around for anything that seems notable (or toothbrush-like) to you or Fendas

>>931879
Tell him that based on what you've seen so far, he loses a lot of blood from his nose quite often. He might end up passing out from losing so much blood if he's not careful.

Tell him to watch your back. And make sure you bend over plenty of times while searching for the source of the odor.

1/3 Nalene 2019/05/24(Fri)09:21 No. 933928 ID: 853018
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I pull Fendas into a tight hug, warming myself ever so slightly as he squirms in my hold. For a tough soldier, he seems to melt pretty easily around me. Guess I can't blame him too much.

All things considered, staying close sounds like the right option. "Nah, we'll be safer close together."

I swear I can hear his heart skip a beat, "S-sure..."

"Also at this rate you'll be out of blood before we get down to the second basement so just stay put."

2/3 Nalene 2019/05/24(Fri)09:21 No. 933929 ID: 853018
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These places generally have foam release switches nearby the fume hood and the exit. A tentative button press lets out a low whine, and nothing seems to change around the room. Guess the fire foam isn't working.

Ugh, well, if I end up burning this place from the inside out, I can put the blame on the old man's shitty building.

I pick up a canister of fuel and oxygen. I have some pockets in my robes I can store these in. Since when? Since just now. I can alter my body to a degree to accomodate some objects, but not completely. Even if something happens and the two cans break for any reason, I have enough control over my body and any flames I produce to prevent anything from happening.

3/3 Nalene 2019/05/24(Fri)09:21 No. 933930 ID: 853018
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Surveying the room, I can't find anything toothbrush related. As Fendas looks into opening the lockbox below the desk, I bend down towards the cubbyhole filled with canisters, presumably the source of all these scattered bottles. Odd, the burning smell is pretty strong here. Curiously enough, the can at the back seems to be melted open at one spot...? Right below the hole is a dark burn spot on the stone surface with ash strewn about, that then trails around the place before disappearing. Some paper scraps are scattered in the ash. What the hell?

I hear a hard snap behind me as Fendas tears open the lock I think? It seems he isn't up for dealing with puzzles right now.

Okay, so somebody hit one of these canisters with something and it ignited like a red barrel in a videogame. Can you trace the path of whatever hit it, if the thing is still there?
Now, what did Fendas discover?

>>933930
A trail of burn mark? It's like some kind of flame snake crawled into/out of the oxygen canister. Investigate the hole.

Tell Fendas that he has two seconds to announce what he discovered and the answer better not be "your ass"

Presumably some papers were burned in there. Burnt documents often mean illicit activity, and Black Sun is extremely illicit... Is there any way to magically view past burnings? Maybe some sort of "see what is on the far side of a flame" or "look into one flame to see through another" but applied to time rather than distance?

Hmm. The hole in that canister is curious, maybe there's still something inside. Ask Fendas what he thinks about putting his finger in the hole. Like just getting it nice and deep in there.

Check out if there was anything of interest in the chest, then enter the summoning chamber.

See where the burn trail leads.

Are you by any chance wearing underwear

1/5 Lennoxicon 2019/06/17(Mon)15:34 No. 936183 ID: 853018
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Underwear? I've never really thought about having to make underwear when I make a trip he-

Wait, that would mean...

"...Did you just look into m-"

"I DID NOT! Uh. I didn't."

2/5 Lennoxicon 2019/06/17(Mon)15:34 No. 936184 ID: 853018
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...Uh huh.

3/5 Lennoxicon 2019/06/17(Mon)15:34 No. 936185 ID: 853018
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"What did you find, anyway?"

"Flame Negators. Freezes fire spirits within 10m solid, and completely prevents fire from entering or leaving the area.

Back in the militia the magebreakers would carry Elemental Negators of all kinds everywhere, never really used one before

myself."

Thanks, I hate it.

"Anyway, keep that in your pocket for now Fendas." I lift the opened canister in my hands. "Do you mind giving your opinion on this hole?"

"the what"

"This blown canister, dude."

4/5 Lennoxicon 2019/06/17(Mon)15:35 No. 936186 ID: 853018
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"...Oh. It just looks melted, like something seared a small hole into it for some reason."

Now that I think about it, it seems like the work of a lesser fire spirit. Fire snakes? A possibility, given the freeform shape of most spiritual entities.

As far as I can tell, the traced line just seems to fade within the cubbyhole, a curved line before ceasing to be. Viewing past burnings is at a level even I've not reached yet, so no luck there.

What I DO see, however, is a trail of small pieces of burnt paper!

5/5 Lennoxicon 2019/06/17(Mon)15:35 No. 936187 ID: 853018
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Following the trail, it crawls to the upper cubbyhole, most of the documents are burnt apparently, before disappearing into a hole in the wall, leading into the summoning chamber.

We COULD enter now, assuming everything is in order here.

>_

I don't really know what else we should be looking at, so, yeah let's see what's in the summoning chamber.

Why is Sexy Spirits such a thick volume? Check that out.

>>936188
Seconding this, but first let's inspect the contents of the upper cubbyhole more closely. Can you see anything inside the hole in the wall? Elemental History might have some useful information in it if you happen to run into any other elementals down here, unless you're already well-acquainted with the subject. Might as well take Pie Festival as well, because who doesn't like pie? And is that some kind of card tucked under the pie book? Could be important. The stuff to the left seems to just be writing implements, but I'm a little curious what that thicker rod in the back is; looks kind of like someone took a bite out of it, or something.

Oh, and give Fendas that copy of Sexy Spirits, Vol. 1 -- he could probably make good use of it the next time he gets some privacy. Who knows, perhaps there's an entry in there about you... maybe it even has a fold-out centerfold for him to gawk at!

>>936187
One of these things is not like the others.

>Pie
Oooh, Pie Festival. Surely you must've oft been summoned for your perfect control of fire, so that some culinary craftsman could achieved that perfect crusty crisp.

Elder Jacques' totally did that at some point, didn't he?

Anyway, that's the book that stands out. Both the others are on elementals and spirits.

It seems odd that the scroll was burned. It is out-of-the-way? The burning must have been intense too, so as not to spread through a scroll, which is typically a very flammable thing. At least identify it, and see if there is anything odd about the burning. Can fire spirits leave messages in unusual burn patterns that most beings would miss?

Definitely check the history book. Most beings are uninterested in the history of others beyond the most fanciful and exotic tales. A dry history book would be the choice location to hide something.

Could you set fire to a pencil, toss it into the hole, and scry on that? It would be your own flames so... . And could you snuff it out if the result was a fire in a pile of valuable documents?

>Sexy Spirits Vol 1
Why is it short but thick?
Why is it here?
WHY DOES IT SAY VOLUME 1 IS THERE MORE THEN ONE VOLUME?!

>Pie
Now that's suspicious.

>>936215
>scroll was burned
Ooohhhh, so that's what it is. Well heck, open that sucker up and let's see what's written on what's left of it.

I'd guess something activated the scroll, which released a fire spirit, which then proceeded to get some oxygen, and went into the summoning chamber? Or maybe I got that backwards and the spirit came from the chamber, did stuff here, and... dunno what happened to it afterward.

The book on the spirits probably won't teach you anything new, so let Fendas read it, while you check out the rest of the items.

1/3 Nalene 2019/09/03(Tue)21:20 No. 944247 ID: 22cb75
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Oh boy, book reading. I flip through several pages in each book, making sure there's no secret letters hidden in the books like in those novels Jacques made me read to children.

As a matter of fact, the pie book reminds me of the time someone tried to make me bake pie. Long story short the building was burned to the ground but it wasn't my fault. Nothing was in the pie festival book besides some memories.

The Elemental History book was also of SOME note, but I already knew the entirety of the history of Fire due to, well, being fire itself. The other ones were kinda boring.
Water wasn't even worth looking at. After a couple pages I just shook the book to see if anything fell out. No luck.

I take a glance over the Sexy Spirits tome, not looking for myself at all.

...

Anyways. This is a dumb book and I hated reading it. I toss it backwards to Fendas so he could, I don't know, ogle at lesser, needy beings being gross.

2/3 Nalene 2019/09/03(Tue)21:20 No. 944248 ID: 22cb75
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The scroll definitely isn't a summoning scroll. What it IS is a quick cast scroll of-

water bolt.

I'll pass on this one.

Some surveillance is certainly something I can do. A lit pencil is all I need to pass the hole and see what's...

3/3 Nalene 2019/09/03(Tue)21:20 No. 944249 ID: 22cb75
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Hm.

I'm fairly certain there's not supposed to be a giant burnt hole in there.

>_

Thrust forward into yonder hole!

>>944247
Hmmm my lady doth protest too much about sexy things~

Can you gather any info about what caused the burning, since you’re a fire elemental?

>>944249
Balls. Alright that's probably a large fire elemental at this point; how well could you fight fire with fire?
Would Fendas be able to use that water bolt scroll against it?
I say the summoning chamber is our next destination, unless you think you can't fight that thing. In that case we should stock up on anti-fire stuff, which are probably all in the water chamber. Fendas can go check that one out. You can probably find some relatively safe but useful things in the earth chamber.

>>944251
I agree, but Nalene should go first. We cannot trust Fendas to go thrusting into holes blindly!

Why fight a fire elemental? It is probably just looking for a way home. Unless it is corrupted, but if the corruption got all the way here, then best to burn the whole complex to the ground. Just return with the ashes and assume that the toothrbrush's remains are in there somewhere...

Ugh, you know what? Go get that magazine back and match the figures to the hole in the wall. It stands to reason that this lab was summoning things from that book, for reasons best not thought about...

Can you detect anything in that hole?

You should enter and probably light your way.

>>944253
She just needs some encouragement, is all. Like, Nalene is still scorching hot, I’d take her over some jumped-up sloshy water elemental, any day.

>>944249
We may want to get into that room for a closer look, if only to determine which direction the wall burned - inward or outward. It’s the difference between something in the room looking to escape, or something from elsewhere (possibly lower?) seeking the surface.