Per Abyssa Ad Astra (Civ game) thread #2

>>475465
>[X] Go to seek the other deep tribes for plantable stuff

>>476003
"Thank you, chief Kartak, but I must be on my way. I still need to finish my ritual, and if I need to journey to the other deep tribes, then I must do so. Again, I thank you for your hospitality." You say.
"Very well then. I know one other deep tribe other than yours, but they're not exactly friendly. Use caution around them - they're three days' journey to the northeast."
The shaman, Yotra, joined the conversation. "There might be another tribe to the northwest, but I have only heard stories about them, told by the shaman before me. They're about four days away." He thinks for a moment. "But, if what you really want is some plantable kelp, try the chasm near the Wreck-Yard, to the north. There might be some kinds of kelp there that can grow in the dark, but beware of sky-people - the Wreck-Yard is where their creations go to die." He cautioned.

You thank the chief and Yotra, before setting off.
>[ ] Go to the hostile tribe to the northeast
>[ ] Go to the rumored tribe to the northwest
>[ ] Go to the chasm near the Wreck-Yards
>[ ] Go straight north to the site of the explosion last night

>>476369
>[X] Go to the chasm near the Wreck-Yards

>>476369
>[X] Go to the rumored tribe to the northwest

>>476884
Ye boi. This

>>476884
The wreck-yards might hold treasures other than just grow-in-the-dark kelp, should you fail to find some. And besides, from there you figure out you could head to the other two tribes later on - with the destination settled, you rush towards the supposed Wreck-Yards.
Sometime during your journey, you see a familiar shape in the deep. It's the long cousin! "Back to accompany me again, eh?" The Sharpmaw just wiggles playfully, and the two of you ride towards the destination.

Soon enough, you see things jutting from the seabed, like ruins. Flat shapes, arced shapes, plenty of rocklike things lay scattered in haphazard fashion. The Wreck-Yard lay before you, nestled between a chasm and a tall cliff that goes into an island above the roiling sky. Soon you realize that these shapes were once sky-people vehicles - and that there's one that currently moves instead of laying scattered.
It's still a bit far, and you might be able to get closer undetected.

>[ ] Ignore and avoid it, go to the chasm and look for plants
>[ ] Check it out, stealthily
>[ ] These sky-people don't look so bad, let's initiate contact!
>[ ] Avoid it but check the rest of the Wreck-Yards
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>478913
>[X] Avoid it but check the rest of the Wreck-Yards

>>478913
>[X] Avoid it but check the rest of the Wreck-Yards

>>478913
>>[ ] Avoid it but check the rest of the Wreck-Yards

>>478932
>>479133
>>479151
"Watch out, long cousin. Those are the sky-people, we best not disturb them." You say, as you dart around a path that hides you and the Sharpmaw behind the reddish ruins. At a glance, the sky-people's vehicle seems to be inspecting the ruins, perhaps in reverence to those that precede it? Then you see two appendages stretch out from it, grabbing a piece of ruin with claws. This made a rumbling sound, which you use to sneak past the vehicle. You head deeper into more ruins, and that's when you can smell the bloody smell of the reddish ruins. They rot! Not in the way that living things rot, but the smell is familiar. Your Sharpmaw looks a bit agitated as you enter a carcass of a large sky-people vehicle. You let it stay outside, in case the earlier vehicle comes.

Inside, plenty of coral and thinner kelp cover every surface, and several colorful meat pass by, this place their home. Some jutting forms of ruin-bone litter the place, some probably the artifacts of sky-people. You feel a weak current inside, and something that feels like it's pulling you mentally on the other direction.

>[ ] Grab an artifact, maybe it does something
>[ ] Check if any of these kelp and corals grow in the dark, as it's kinda dark here even in the day
>[ ] Follow the current, see where it leads
>[ ] Follow the tugging feeling deeper into the ruins
>[ ] Leave this place, it's more of a graveyard than a treasure trove

>>479183
>>[ ] Grab an artifact, maybe it does something
followed by
>[ ] Follow the tugging feeling deeper into the ruins

>>479183
>[X] Check if any of these kelp and corals grow in the dark, as it's kinda dark here even in the day
Then
>[X] Follow the tugging feeling deeper into the ruins

>>479204
>>479477
There's so much of sky-people jetsam and flotsam here that you think you can take one or two things from it. The first is a small glittering rock, attached to an equally glittering rope, which you think might be some kind of sky-people idol. As you investigate it, the rock opens like a shell - and what seems like the carving of a sky-folk is inside. A keepsake? Another artifact you find is a long stick, part of it shines under the scarce light inside the carcass. One end is sharp, and two edges are sharp - sky-people spears are more point than handle. Then you look a bit for some plants - you note that most of the plants here are poisonous. Excepting one or two you've never seen before, you're sure you know the others from the lessons shaman Tiraati taught you.
Then you feel the tugging feeling again. Slowly you navigate through the rotting ruins of the sky-people vehicle, avoiding jagged ruins and sky-people remains in the process. Soon enough, you arrive at a dimly-lit room, where a large hollow structure lie in the middle of the room, connected to the rest of the ruins by trailing tendrils made of rotten ruins. You feel as if whatever it is, it seeks another dweller. Could this be the tomb of a dweller?

>[ ] Grab your idol and try to connect with the lost feeling
>[ ] Poke around in the room for clues
>[ ] Peer inside the big structure in the room
>[ ] Get out, this might be sacred ground
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>479625
>[X] Grab your idol and try to connect with the lost feeling

>>479625
>[X] Grab your idol and try to connect with the lost feeling

>>479625
>>[ ] Grab your idol and try to connect with the lost feeling
Maybe followed by
>[ ] Peer inside the big structure in the room
If we can't feel anything

Sorry about the delay, IP address changed to a blocked one and I had to attend to a matter of family.

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>>479656
>>479690
>>481854
The feeling seems to be strongest here. You grab your idol and prayed. "By the Sleeping God, who is it that sleeps here?"
A moment later, an apparition of an emaciated dweller appears near the structure. "Hail... fellow shaman... have we won... against the sky-people...?" A frail and hollow voice echo through the room. A lost soul, yet to return to the dreams of the Sleeping God - apparently fought against the sky-people?
"Sadly not, fellow shaman. If you would be so kind, tell me of your story." You say, while peering into the structure, which turns out to be a chamber. A dweller's bones scattered inside, and an idol to a god you don't know.
"I am... Laakara. We... fought the sky-people. My tribe fought... with me. But they... they fell in battle... I was captured. Bound inside this... metal shell, coiled with... metal. Sky-people... used my connection to... The Prince of Eternity... to make their ship... move. I sought death... forsake food... but they forced me to eat. But the sky-people... fought other sky-people. Found death... among the waves. Now you are... here, I can face... The Prince. Take my idol... send my soul to The Prince."

>[ ] Take the idol, send the ghost to meet The Prince
>[ ] Take the idol, go with the ghost to meet The Prince
>[ ] Take the idol and leave, you might need her help later.
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>483339
>[X] Take the idol, go with the ghost to meet The Prince

>>483339
>>[ ] Take the idol, go with the ghost to meet The Prince

>>483339
>Take the idol, ask who The Prince is.

>>483495
>>484905
>>485245
Acknowledging the dead dweller's last wishes, you reach and grab his idol of The Prince of Eternity. A curious idol, carved from the yellow rock that glints of greed - and you pray to both the Sleeping God and The Prince of Eternity as the ghost holds your hand with a wizened hand that felt like hunger. With your mind's eye you see the room before you unfolding into the same yellow hue of the idol.
And right in front of you, upon a throne of yellow, the splendor that is The Prince of Eternity sat, overseeing his domain of an opulent palace, dotted with yellow-gilded murals and plenty. With a soothing sound, The Prince of Eternity spoke from behind his mask. "Oh hello! Welcome to my palace! It's rare to see guests nowadays. Hmm, I see that it's you again, Laakara! How was your life? Here, have some meat, you look like you need some!"
Laakara bows, and before him a table unfurls. The dishes there various and all seem appetizing. Laakara took a piece of meat dripping in some kind of sauce, and took a bite - just like that, his wizened form were replaced by rippling muscle, apparently restored to his prime. Laakara then spoke. "O Prince, thank you for letting me back to your realm."
To which The Prince replied, "Gratitude accepted! Though I feel it's not just me you should thank, no? Who's this little friend of yours, Laakara?"
Laakara then turns to you. "The Prince is right. I thank you, fellow shaman, for sending my soul back to The Prince's realm. I haven't got your name as well?"
You reply. "I am Saakima, son of chieftain Raakamaka. Though I worship the Sleeping God, I cannot leave this wandering soul lost forever."
"Oh! Old Caatuhu still sleeps, I see! Well, you just earned yourself a boon from me, for leading Laakara back to me. Brings a tear to my face, seeing such camaraderie between different gods' worshippers! In the old days, it is a very rare occurrence. Now, what boon would you like? Go on, take your time, I am The Prince of Eternity!"

>[ ] Learn about The Prince's religion
>[ ] Learn a godly power from The Prince
>[ ] Got any kelp that can grow in the dark plains?
>[ ] Learn about the other gods
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>485576
All are good, but I'm going with this one.
>[X] Got any kelp that can grow in the dark plains?

>>485587
"Thank you, O Prince of Eternity. I journey to find a kelp my tribe could farm."
"Just that? Why don't you just use regular kelp?" The Prince spoke, curiosity in his voice.
"We live in the dark plains, O Prince. No regular kelp could grow there, and what does grow there are poisonous. I seek to bring prosperity to my tribe."
Even though The Prince's face is covered in a mask, you could feel the surprise and joy radiating from him. "Ah, so I see! Well, know this: the reason usual kelp won't grow in the dark plains is because not enough light reaches them. But what if they carry their own light?" With that, The Prince closes his palms, and when he opened it, kelp cuttings falls out from it. Acting quickly, you bow and catch them, noting that they glow a faint yellow.
"Haha! See, that wasn't so hard! Now, go be prosperous. Tell Caatuhu that The Prince enjoys your company!" The Prince now turns to Laakara. "Now, Laakara, you're a bit late for a party."
Laakara's face beamed. "Am I invited?"
"Of course you are!" The Prince takes him in his hands, scale meant nothing in the realm of The Prince, and he turns back to you. "It may be his time, but not yours! Don't you have somewhere to be, Saakima?" With that, you're back in the sky-people vehicle's belly, in the room with the container - without dweller bones inside. You almost think that meeting was a dream, when you realize you're holding onto kelp. Glowing cuttings of kelp.

>[ ] Explore the rest of the vehicle
>[ ] Go back to Tarka village
>[ ] Go back to your tribe

>>487476
>>[ ] Explore the rest of the vehicle
Wow, the King in Yellow is a real cool guy, 10/10 would party for eternity with.

>>487476
Learn how to plant kelp from them friendly villagers.

>>487476
>[X] Go back to your tribe

>>487687
>>487695
>>487842
Even though you are very elated after receiving such a boon, you think about the sky-people's vehicle you're currently in. If you are to defend your tribe against them, you should investigate further. Swimming in the dark corridors and rooms, you find the bones of several sky-people. Weird how such frail bodies can enslave a shaman like Laakara - they must have strange magics to aid them. You then wonder if the pendant and the spear of the sky-people were imbued with such magics.
While nearing a hole in the vehicle's carcass that leads back outside, your long cousin comes into view, seemingly agitated. Soon enough, you see the cause: the smaller sky-people vehicle from earlier, heading towards your direction! You almost forgot about them. By the way they acted towards the earlier ruins, you even wonder if they're graverobbers.

>[ ] Try to sneak past
>[ ] Try to find a weak spot to strike
>[ ] Try to be diplomatic
>[ ] Try to hide in the wreck, wait and see
>[ ] Grab the Sleeping God's idol and see if you can convince the vehicle to be friends
>[ ] Grab The Prince of Eternity's idol and see what you can do with it
>[ ] Grab both idols and pray

>>491413
>[X] Try to hide in the wreck, wait and see

>>491593
You decide to wait in the wreck, motioning for the long cousin to get in through the other opening. Once you are both inside, you carefully peek through a hole in the ruin wall.
The sky-people vehicle slowly arrives, bright lights shining from its multitude of eyes. Then you remember about its clawed arms, and motioned the long cousin to go exit the other side - while you slowly move through the rooms, keeping an eye on the vehicle through the various holes in the wreck's belly.
Soon enough, the arms went out from somewhere between the eyes, but unlike the last time you saw it, it stopped short of the walls and retracted. Does it realize that this is a grave for sky-people? You ready the sky-people's spear, as a hole opens on the side of the vehicle and two sky-people walks out of it. Didn't Puurta say that they were clad in an impenetrable shell? Not so with the sky-people you see here, their pale limbs, adorned with markings, awkwardly flailing about as they move towards the hole you entered from. You stay in your hiding spot, and hope that it's dark enough for them to miss. You watch as they enter the wreck, a cylindrical thing on each of their backs and a light shining from one of their limbs - and you can see their weird, square faces in the distance of a corridor. You realize that they are looking around, just like you, and soon they will reach the room you're in.

>[ ] Stand and fight them, you have the advantage while they're not armored
>[ ] Move slowly towards them and ask them what are they doing here
>[ ] Move out of the way, seeking an exit
>[ ] Grab one of your idol and pray (specify which idol)
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>496751
Grab the sleeping God's idol, but ask them what they are doing here. Keep that spear hidden but ready.

>>496751
>>[ ] Move out of the way, seeking an exit

Sorry about the late reply, IP shenanigans happened.

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>>497797
>>499275
You hide the spear behind what once was a doorway, and grab Caatuhu's idol. Not because you're scared, but more for guidance and if need be, quick prayer. The two sky-people come closer, until they spot you with their lights. You say, "What are you doing here?" but they seem to not understand, or cannot reply back, as they falteringly stop in their place. You can hear some sort of murmuring, but you cannot understand them. The three of you stayed still for a while, until one of them suddenly grabs something from their side.

>[ ] Grab the sky-people sword and counter-attack!
>[ ] Time to pray to the Sleeping God, switch perspective with one of them!
>[ ] Time to get the fuck out of here, the darkness and your agility would help!
>[ ] Stay still and observe, maybe they're not really hostile?
>[ ] Other (fill in)

>>500261
Perspective switch, but push your body to casually float off to the side before you do it, just in case the other one decides to do something funny.

>>500783
You drift to the ceiling of the room you're in, and pray to the Sleeping God. "By the Sleeping God, let me borrow your mind, so I may know your intentions."
As you put your body in a meditative pose, you open your eyes to see yourself in one of the sky-people's body. You almost panic when you realize it's not water you breathe - but the mind soon corrects that, this is what sky-people breathe. Micah, they call you, part of an illegal salvager crew, here to survey the rooms of the sunken warship HRS Algernon for noteworthy items before the salvager dive-ship tears it apart for the metal it's made from.
"Hey, Micah, you alright? Did that deep one do something to you?" A disembodied voice in your diving mask - you now realize it belongs to your diving buddy, John, transmitted through something called 'radio'. You realize you have a multipurpose small knife on your hip, sheathed.

>[ ] "Uh, better leave this one alone, I think."
>[ ] "Don't do anything rash, this one might be a shaman! I heard they'll put curses on you!"
>[ ] "Seems like it's not responding... carry it back to the ship?"
>[ ] Knife the sky-sucka before they realize it
>[ ] Return to your body, and talk to them now you've understood their language
>[ ] Swim out of the wreck, pronto
>[ ] Other (fill in)