-[ prismic △ sanctum ]-

[ಠ_ಠ]

I think we all must be dreaming. It's the only thing that makes sense.
Quick pinch yourself to wake up!

[SHIVERS]

"Maybe we're dreaming.
You could pinch yourself," you suggest, half-seriously.
"I've had more than that happen.
Knock yourself out, though."

You don't bother pinching yourself.
Instead, you gaze out at the stars with Roux for a little while, before deciding to speak up.

"I think it'd be best if we kept going. Hopefully we'll figure this place out soon.
...Unless you'd like to break the window to check if this is real."
"I think the benefits of having air to breathe outweigh your curiosity.
Just a bit."

With that, the chorosy continues on down the hall as you follow behind them.
At the end of the hall is an imposing electronic door with a button beside it.
Roux taps the button with a claw, and it slides open, unleashing quiet, vaguely generic 'waiting room' music from the other side.



The two of you step through into an ordinary-looking shopping mall, the door silently sliding shut behind you.
You pore over the comparatively enormous room you've stepped into.

Taking up the majority of the triangular area is a children's playplace in the center, with plentiful tubes, slides and other padded play equipment scattered about; see-through plastic walls with painted rainbows and boats surrounding the playground.
Immediately to your right on the wall looks to be a switch panel of some kind. 
Past that, along the right wall, you can see a sporting goods shop and an outdoors & camping store.
To your left, you can see an extensive robotics & electronic parts store.
Far across from you, on the other side of the playplace, you spy a book store.

There's more here, but that's all you can see from your current vantage point.
Roux quickly heads to the right without a word, the sporting goods shop drawing their interest.

Show Content

MAPCURRENT ROOM: MALL ATRIUM

[ಠ_ಠ]

sporting goods shop will heave weapons. head there first.

[knux400]

Let Roux search the sporting goods store, outdoor and camping could have some weapony stuff too. Explain to them what you're doing and that you intend to look around the electronics store afterwards.

[SHIVERS]

You start walking past Roux.
"I'll check the outdoor--"
"No good."
You hear a metallic rattling that stops you in your tracks.
You turn, and find Roux shaking a storefront security gate barring the sporting goods store.
It blocks the entrance doors as well as the windows, and looks sturdy.
"Betting they're all locked down like this."

Glancing back to the camping store, you find it in similar condition: blocked by another gate.
However, something's different.
It looks like part of the gate has been bent in and broken around one of the windows, which has also been busted through.
You make your way over to get a closer look.

There are various objects lined up in the display window, but there's an empty spot right where the hole's been made.
The hole isn't anywhere near large enough to climb in, but it would've allowed plenty of room to take whatever used to be in the display.

By now, Roux notices something's up and heads over.
They stop momentarily when they see the window.
"...Someone's been here already."
They continue on, looking the hole over thoroughly.
Spying something, they carefully reach in around the broken glass and pull it out.
It's a label sticker of some kind, still somewhat attached to broken glass.

Roux looks it over for a long time.
They exhale deeply, then hand it to you.
The chorosy starts pacing, bringing a clawed paw to their chin.
"We need to get those shutters open.
Or find... I don't know. Something. Or somewhere to go.
I don't like this..." Roux turns their head, eyes following along the atrium walls.
You watch as they run back towards the entrance you came in, stopping in front of the switch panel you noticed earlier.

You check the sticker.
It's not entirely intact, but you're able to read enough.



(NEW!) 
   PRECISION CROSSBOWS
                          now in sto





From the front of the outdoors store, you can now see more of the atrium:
There's a shoe store next to the camping store, and an apothecary on the other side of that.
Through the playplace windows, you spot some sort of rock climbing store to the right of the electronic goods shop; complete with its own giant rock climbing wall.
There's the book store along the south wall that you noticed earlier, and a couple of hallways beyond it.

Between the book store and the apothecary, you also see a set of double doors. 
They're right behind another security gate, and there's something above them that's glowing red.



You squint.




It's an exit sign.

Show Content

MAPCURRENT ROOM: MALL ATRIUM

[knux400]

Assuming all the other stores are barred shut, the switch panel seems like our best bet. The exit sign is interesting, but without a way to get through the shutter, it's kind of useless right now.

[ಠ_ಠ]

try and look through the windows of all the stores for potential threats/interesting items to see where you should go first once the shutters are up

[SHIVERS]

You head to the switch panel first. 
Roux follows you, looking particularly anxious.

You find three switches on the panel, each with a different label: 'MAIN LIGHTS', 'MUSIC', and 'SECURITY GATES'. There's a hard plastic covering over the switches, though; a keyhole that presumably opens the cover just beside it.
"Just need to find a key, then. 
...Somewhere." They sigh.
"I'd say we're fairly likely to find it."
"I'm not holding my breath. 
But still worth looking, I guess.
Let's check these stores. Look for any ways in, and keep an eye out for the key. Maybe it's around, but I doubt it."
"I was about to suggest the same. Make note of anything useful for later, in the event we do find the key."
"Yeah."



You and Roux perform a thorough search of the atrium, and you mentally catalogue your findings:
-The sporting goods shop did indeed have plenty of weapons. Various bats, golf clubs, croquet mallets; just about anything that's good for hitting things.
-The camping and outdoors store had another crossbow inside, as well as a hunting rifle towards the back. Roux additionally pointed the many large backpacks. "We're going to want more supplies. More supplies means more to carry, so a good bag or two is about the most useful thing we could find." 
-Unsurprisingly, climbing gear could be seen within the rock climbing store, along with some warm clothes.
-The shoe store, inexplicably, had shoes. And nothing else.
-You learned the book store also housed a coffee shop within it, but couldn't determine much else by looking inside. Roux pointed out "Books on first aid could help if one of us gets hurt. ...Could be something similar for construct injuries."
-Roux searched the playground for the panel key, but only succeeded in getting briefly stuck after crawling under one of the slides, requiring your help to dislodge them. "I could've got out by myself." They seemed embarrassed.
-You checked the exit, but there wasn't a way around the gate in front of it. "No door has led where it's supposed to, so I doubt this one's actually a way out."
-Two other stores had holes in their security gates: The robotics and electronic parts store - which had no label nearby to identify what was taken - and the apothecary, which you were currently investigating.

The hole here was larger than the other two, and a nearby shelf had been overturned inside, now leaning sideways against the window display. Broken bottles were scattered along the floor in front of it.
"Looks like they made a bigger hole here so they could reach that shelf. Can't tell what they got, but there might be something useful in here. 
Hang on."
The chorosy tried to squeeze their way inside, but couldn't quite fit. 
"Nope." They stepped back, looking over the scene inside.
"Whoever made these... they could've just busted all the way in, but they made holes just big enough to get what they wanted without letting anyone else use them to get in.
No way that wasn't on purpose."

They stepped aside, glancing around the atrium.
"Okay.
Alright. 
There's... Probably a way forward with one of those doors in the corner."
"One of them is unlocked."
"...You checked?"
You tap your forehead. "Mental map."
"Wait, you can just... tell?"
You nod.
"Huh. ...Weird, but that's good, if it works.
So, we've got..."
They trailed off, pacing another few steps before leaning back against a nearby wall.



"We don't know if we'll find the key up ahead. And if someone's running around with a crossbow, might be safer to double back. We didn't pass anyone on our way here, so maybe it's-- ...except for that aerosoul you saw, which... isn't..." Roux raked a hand down their face, exhaling.

"Yeah, I don't know." They slid their back down the wall until they were sitting on the floor. 
"We've got two options. Neither's great.
We find that key, we can get weapons. Plenty of other things, too. But if we run into whoever took that crossbow before then, this," They waggled their knife. "...sure isn't gonna make a difference."  
"If we double back, we'd have to find some other route neither of us have taken yet, otherwise we'd just be going in circles and wasting time. And we could run into your purple friend. Which, if they're an aerosoul..." They looked up from the floor. "How big were they?"
"Taller than you, I think. Definitely bigger."
"Yeah, no. Don't like our odds at all."

They shrugged, letting their hands drop to their sides after.
"No idea. Your call. 
Otherwise I'd just obsess over the decision and die of old age in this mall."

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MAPCURRENT ROOM: MALL ATRIUM

[knux400]

"...Honestly, this place is weird. I'd say we're equally likely to run into the aerosoul whether we go forward or back. And, y'know, they might not be hostile.

I think forward is the better option for now. Crossbow person is scary, but... it's a crossbow. They can't have that many bolts, and it's going to take time to reload after every shot. If they miss, we'll have time to run or take cover.

We'll just have to be careful, and keep an eye out for that key. As soon as we find it, we'll go straight back here."

[SHIVERS]

"Honestly, this place is strange. I'd say we're equally likely to run into the aerosoul whether we go forward or back. 
And, they might not be hostile. We don't know for sure."
"I'm not taking chances with them," Roux interjects. 
"I still believe forward is the better option for now. Crossbow person is scary, but... it's a crossbow. 
They can't have that many bolts, and it's going to take time to reload after every shot. 
If they miss, we'll have time to run or take cover.
We'll just have to be careful, and keep an eye out for that key. As soon as we find it, we'll go straight back here."

"If they don't miss, they could kill one of us with a single shot.
Crossbows are near-silent, too. If we don't see where the bolt came from, they could take us both out before we can get to proper cover.
I personally like my head un-impaled." Roux stands up.
"...But you're right, forward is probably the better option. 
Hopefully."
The chorosy waves you along as they make their way to the other doors.



"Which one's unlocked?"
You nod to the south door, putting your paw on the handle as you ready yourself to go through.
Roux turns their attention to the hallway leading to the east door.

"Hang on." They walk towards it. 
"Let's at least check this one." You watch as Roux is illuminated in a dull white light as they enter the hall, presumably coming from windows at the sides. 
"Might find--" Something catches their attention.
You follow, and look outside the windows lining the hallway.

There's an incredibly dense fog blocking most of your view, but you can see the sides of the buildings on either side of the skybridge you realize you're standing in.
You can also faintly make out paved streets down below, but not much else.
"...something new." Roux resumes their sentence where they left off.
"More set dressing. Just like with the stars in that other hallway.
Don't like it."
The chorosy continues on to the double-doors.

There's a window on each door, and Roux puts their face up to one, hands beside their head as they look through.
You do the same, but it's much too dark to make anything out.
"...You see those... tracks? I think those are tracks."
"I can't see anything."
"Really?"
You nod. "It's way too dark."
"...Might have better eyesight than you, then. At least in low light."
You step back from the window.
"Well, I can see tracks. Pretty sure. 
There's a lip of pavement right before them. 
...Could be a subway?"
They pull back and try one handle, then the other.
"Had to try. Oh well.
Looks like your map works.
Let's go."



You head back to the south door and proceed through.

For a moment, you mistakenly believe you've stepped outside.
It doesn't take long for you to realize the giant tree in front of you and river flowing around the room are both made of plastic, with colored lights making the river look especially animated.
The overhead light flickers on and off in random patterns, giving the various plastic models of plants and fish scattered about an uncanny quality.
There's a pedestal with a red button just in front of you.

You have to.

"Wait--"
You press it before Roux can stop you, and a speaker overhead crackles on, making Roux jump.
It doesn't seem to be in great condition, its narration occasionally turning to static.

"Wel----------------iver exploration room! 
Many plants and animals thrive along the rivers an-----------of--------.
Press any button in fr--------------------to hear ab---------------------------na!"
"...Must be some problem with the power in here." 
Roux briefly glances at the models, then continues on down a short staircase leading to the rest of the room.

You can't help but look around the exhibit, taking in each model with curiosity.
- There's one directly ahead, in front of the tree. It's a small, thin fish with a diamond-like shape and a singular fin that wraps almost all the way around it vertically. Its placard reads "HAIKU FISH", and there's a button next to it.
- One on your left looks like a shark - about three feet long - with a lower jaw that curls downwards strangely, sharp teeth following its curve. It's got a placard that reads "LESSER SPIRALMOUTH", but its button seems to be busted.
- Next to that is something you liken to a small, upside-down tree covered with frost. It's labeled "WILLOW NETTLE" and its button is intact.
- There's a stand missing a model to your right, with a placard labeled "SHALLOW VISETRAP" and a button.
- Finally, beside that is a medium-sized fish that appears to be almost flat, with a hard, scaly outer surface and a short fin trailing behind it. It's got a button and its placard reads "BRISSLER'S SHIELDFISH".


"You coming?" Roux appears at the bottom of the staircase.

The buttons are calling to you.

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MAPCURRENT ROOM: RIVER EXHIBIT

[ಠ_ಠ]

press all the buttons as close to at the same time as you can manage

[knux400]

"A museum? Neat. I think I enjoy these. Maybe. Still a bit fuzzy with the whole memory deal."

Press the buttons and listen to the fun facts! Also, how are the fish models held in place? Is there anything between us and them?

[SHIVERS]

You pull at one of the models experimentally, as they're quite close, but it doesn't budge an inch.
All of them seem to be bolted to their respective exhibits.

After this, you can wait no longer, and slap one of the buttons.
"The haiku fish is a notable exception amongst other fish species for not having a proper spinal cord,
instead having a 'notochord', one of the fe----------------- that carries this trait!"

"Did you...?"
Roux returns to your view as they walk back up the stairs.
"I don't know that we have time--"
You hit another.
"--Mantis." 
"Willow nettle may look unassuming, but this plant is actually a pr--ator!
Its sur--ce is covered with thousands of tiny, sharp, glass-like ----rusions that look like hairs.
These 'hairs' instead act like syringes, injecting unsu-------------------------------------------."

You make your way to the next button, but look up to find Roux staring at you, arms folded.
"It's neat. And I think I enjoy museums. 
Maybe. My memory is still entirely fuzzy."
"...Alright.
Let's just finish up quick."
They gesture to the button you're at.
"Knock yourself out."
You smile as you tap it.
"Brissler's sh-----ish - like most shieldfish - has bony plates that form a shell-like around its --dy,
protecting it from po----ial predators.
This v-----------------------------------------------------."

You glance at the last intact button to find Roux already in front of it.
They shrug their shoulders, and press it themself.
"------------aps disguise themselves as bottomfeeders along the riverbed,
partially burying themselves in mud and waiting for smaller predators looking for a quick meal.
When one approa----------------------------------."


"There. Done."



Satisfied, you follow Roux down the stairs.


"...Oh, hell."

There are six more buttons here, all in front of what looks to be a timeline on the wall, but it's too faded to make out any words or pictures.
"You have fun, I'm gonna look around."

You waste no time trying them, but all of them either elicit uninterrupted static or simply don't work at all.
Despite this, the loudspeaker clicks on suddenly.
"This elevator is for employees only.
Please make sure to stay with your group!
For employees: Please tap your badge on the sensor to call the elevator."

Your companion is at an elevator door, the audio seemingly triggered automatically by approaching said elevator.
They tap the sensor pad just beside the door.
"Something else to look out for."



With only one way forward, you both head for a set of doors on the south end, but you stop.
In the center of the downstairs area, there's a giant model - larger than you and Roux combined - of a dark brown, white-spotted fish bolted to the floor.
At its south side, facing those doors, there's another button.

You hit it.

"The coela----h--"
The voice cuts out entirely as a loud, high-pitched whine comes from the crackling speaker up above.
You both cover your ears. Or, at least, Roux seems to cover where you guess their 'ears' are.
The screeching speaker mercifully goes silent after a few seconds.
"Ooookay, no more buttons.
Let's get going."

You nod, and continue through the doors.





On the other side is a dark, sterile-looking hallway.
Doors line the walls on both sides, separated by plain white wallpaper and wooden guardrails. The floor is flat tile in a pastel green color.
Only one of the fluorescents on the ceiling - the one just over your heads - dimly lights the hallway, buzzing obtrusively. Beyond that, only the red exit sign at the end of the hall is lit, staining the rest of the corridor in an eerie red glow.

You don't like it here.

Roux looks hesitant, but they step past you and try a random door. It doesn't open.
You check your mental map.
"All the doors seem to be locked.
This may be a dead end."
"Hang on."

The chorosy cautiously follows the hall, and you reluctantly trail behind.

You soon see what Roux did:
A full-length shovel has been deliberately wedged through both handles of the exit doors.
The shovel's wooden length looks worn around its middle, right where it rests on the door handles.
Roux experimentally tugs at one of the handles ever-so-slightly, and the door moves.
"It's unlocked, shovel's the only thing blocking it."

"...We could pull it out."

"It does say it's an exit, but I still doubt that matters much. 
And this uh..." 
They gently touch the stress marks around the middle of the shovel. 
"...might be here for a good reason."

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MAPCURRENT ROOM: SDU HALL 2

[Lilium Mortem]

Yeah I'd say, do not remove that shovel. you'd have no idea what you were dealing with. the map says there are some usable 'stairs' in the museum, maybe you could find them.

[ಠ_ಠ]

knock on the exit door, see if you can get a sense of whats on the other side

[knux400]

Can the double doors open enough for someone to peek through? Let's see if we can see inside. Try putting your ear to the doors, too.

[SHIVERS]

"Wait a moment."
You knock on the exit door, Roux tenses up.
You put your ear against the door, and they follow suit.



You don't hear anything.

You glance at Roux, who shakes their head.

Without moving the shovel, you gently pull the doors as much as you're able.
It barely opens a crack, but it's enough.
Realizing what you're trying to do, Roux holds the doors in position for you while you peek through.



You can barely see anything.

There's an ornate golden picture frame on the wall. You can't see if there's anything hung in it.
Fancy red carpet with similar gold patterning adorns the floor.
There may also be a gap in the room? 
Possibly a hole in the floor. Could also simply be an odd pattern on the carpet. 
It's very difficult to tell.
You think you can see a... pedestal. In the center, across the 'gap.'
You can't tell if there's anything on it.

That's about it.



"Look safe?" 
Roux has their knife at the ready.

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MAPCURRENT ROOM: SDU HALL 2

[knux400]

"I don't think there's anything currently in there. Whoever or whatever was banging on the doors might have left and gone another way. Plus, we're kind of starved for weapons at this point, and that shovel looks nice and heavy."

"I'm for going in if you are."

[Lilium Mortem]

It still might be there, just not in the same room, or maybe in the hole. who knows if it has to breathe, if we go in there we go in on high alert. I do not like the stress marks on this shovel.

[SHIVERS]

"I don't think there's anything currently in there.
Whoever or whatever was trying to get inside might have left.
It may have gone down the hole."
"What?"
"There's a hole."
"Great."
"I'd say that's good news, if it means whatever was in there is gone.
Plus, we could certainly use any weapons we can get; that shovel looks nice and heavy.
Though, the stress marks don't bode well."
"Probably means the handle's brittle, too."
"Well, I'm going in if you are, but we stay alert if we do."
"Me first, then."

Roux puts a claw on the shovel, then hesitates.
They turn back to you.
"You used a weapon before?"
"Not that I can remember."
Roux hands you the knife.
"Much easier to use than the shovel, and it's less heavy."

You grasp the knife with both hands, holding it up in front of you.
"...Here."
Roux guides it into one hand instead, and moves your free hand a bit to the side.
"Keep your other hand up to protect yourself.
Think of it like having a sword and a shield.
And keep your stance wide."
You distance your feet a little.
"There you go."

They turn and hold the shovel again.
"Stay back at the door until I tell you.
If something bad's inside, I'll come back, and I need you to slam the door behind me.
Can you do that?"
"Yes."
"Okay.
Don't let me down."





Roux pulls the shovel out, turns the handle, then yanks both doors open.
You hold them open as the chorosy dashes in, shovel readied.

You hear their shoes skid on the carpet as they immediately attempt to back up.

They don't do so gracefully, tumbling backwards onto the floor.
The chorosy frantically backs away on the floor, stopping just before the hospital doors.
"What is it?! Is--"
The chorosy shakes their head. 
"Empty! It's empty!
Nothing... in here." 
They're panting.
"Just the... you said there was a hole, wasn't expecting that."



You step inside to look.

The hole you'd seen prior is much larger than it looked through the door, spanning most of the center of the room, surrounding a small platform in the middle.
The hole is only a few feet across, but it's still plenty of room to fall, and you can't see how deep it goes; it's just black.

You take a quick moment to survey the room.
It's just as gaudy as it looked before; gold sconce lights, red and gold carpet, the works.

There are three huge picture frames, one on every wall except the east.
There's a bronze frame above the locked doors on the west wall, containing what looks like a greatly-enlarged photo of the door itself. 
...Or maybe it's a painting. You can't tell.
The west doors themselves are as ornate as the rest of the room, with a symbol that looks like a sealed letter in their center.
In the framed photo, the doors are slightly open, and there's a barely-visible blue sneaker between them, as if someone was caught entering the room.
Beyond that, the photo looks identical to the real thing.

Behind you, above the doors you just came through, rests another giant frame on the north wall.
This one is silver, and also contains a picture of the doors it's above.
Like the other, the doors are slightly open with one other key difference:
Concerningly, there's a sizable purple hand with an eyeball on the back of it, looking at the 'camera' as the arm it's attached to trails back through the doors.

There's a similar gold frame on the south wall, but it's blank; solid white.



In the southeast corner of the room are three old-fashioned cameras set on tripods facing in different directions.
Two are pointed towards the west and north entrances, with the last camera in between the others, facing the center platform.
The flash bulbs are burnt out in all but the middle camera.

The east wall has a big, heavy-looking gold switch with an attached handle.
On the platform in the center of the chasm is a pedestal with a strange, gold button on it, and a little red light.
High above the pedestal, jutting slightly out of the ceiling, is a thick, brass tube with a cap on its bottom.





Having successfully surveyed the room, you check on Roux.
They're in the process of standing up, though their legs look inexplicably shaky.
"Just... need a sec."

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MAPCURRENT ROOM: GALLERY PHOTO ROOM