1.101
If you’re RUNNING LATE, go to entry 1.101a. Otherwise, if you don't have the SEARCH BELOW (SILARO MAKO) mission, read the following:
At the base of a massive cylinder of forged carbon, you see several lambance rigs illuminating the space in a wide ring. Within, there are the beginnings of a base camp. The advance team moves about the space, taking stock, unpacking crates, setting up equipment, and building temporary structures. Beyond, there is a vast darkness, sparkling with a strange kind of precipitation that illuminates the boundaries of the cavern as it falls. Shadows move and shift as the droplets pass. The effect is mesmerizing.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” A confident voice cuts through the still air. You turn to see a tall, bearded man with impeccable posture walking toward you. “We’ve been calling it glitterain. Not sure what it is, but it sure is fascinating! I’m Harlan. Harlan Vos,” he says, extending his hand in greeting. “You must be the additional Rangers Elder Thrush promised us.”
You introduce yourself and inquire as to Silaro Mako’s whereabouts.
“Silaro went on ahead some time ago,” explains Harlan. “He got so excited when he arrived that he just had to venture deeper. I’ve never been one to stand in the way of an explorer, so I didn’t protest, but it’s been at least a day since he left. Maybe I should have tried to convince him otherwise.”
You are about to respond when you feel a familiar tug on your backpack.
“Hi!” You look down to see the cheerful face of Quisi Vos looking up at you. Is she … eating your trail mix? “I’m glad you’re here. That other Ranger’s not nearly as fun as you are. What was his name again, dad?”
“Kal Iver,” says Harlan. “He arrived a few hours before you did. Said that we should expect you to be right behind him ‘as usual.’ He went on ahead, but he didn’t seem too worried about Silaro. Can you keep an eye out for him? Silaro is supposed to be leading this expedition, after all. He should probably be here.”
Rangers Choose
A) Of course! Happy to help.
Gain the SEARCH BELOW (SILARO MAKO) mission. Search the Chimney set for Silaro Mako, Spelunker and attach him facedown to the mission card. Cross off 199.2 on the day tracker. Write 199.3 3 days from now on the day tracker. Find Silaro Mako and return him to the base camp at the Chimney.
B) Silaro can take care of himself. I’m sure he’s fine.
Cross off 199.2 on the day tracker. Write 199.3 3 days from now on the day tracker.
1.101A
The expedition’s advance team has all but finished setting up on a large flat landing at the base of the Chimney. It looks like a small village, bustling with activity. Among the gathered crew, you spot the young rapscallion Quisi Vos talking excitedly with her father, Harlan, and your old rival, Kal Iver.
Kal lies back on a hammock suspended several feet above the ground by two memlev devices, one at the head of the hammock and one at its foot. As you approach, he hops off with a grunt of effort and steps toward Silaro Mako, giving you a laconic salute. “You’re in good hands, Silaro,” he says. “Elder Thrush has sent us the absolute best.”
“Of course she did!” says Silaro. “All the Elders know how important this expedition is. They’ll also be happy to know that my theory was correct! New passages have opened up in the arcology! The last time anyone was down here, there was only one passage leading from this chamber. Now there are many more. I’d be willing to bet there are even more beyond those!” With hardly a pause, Silaro turns to you and says: “What I need you to do is a bit of scouting. First, investigate the immediate vicinity, then we’ll see about venturing deeper.”
He rummages in a nearby crate and withdraws a handheld device. “Take this lambance rig with you. Illumination is in short supply down here, and you don’t want to go fumbling around in the dark—not where you’re going!” He claps you on the back. “Drink it in, my friend. Wherever you go, you could very well be the first human to set foot there in over a thousand years!”
Complete THE DESCENT mission. Gain the SURVEY THE DEPTHS mission and the Lambance Rig reward card.
You note that Silaro is truly in his element. If he were any more excited, he may very well float back up to the surface. “While you’re away, I plan on doing some ‘scouting’ of my own,” he says. “I’ve discovered some Estian script that may very well be instructions for how to operate the arcology itself! I just need time to translate it. Perhaps by the time you return, I’ll know more.”
Record CHIMNEY IS SETTLED on the campaign tracker. Then, if 199.4 isn't on your day tracker, record 199.4 7 days from now on the day tracker.
As Silaro departs, Kal pulls you aside. He speaks to you in an uncharacteristically low and serious tone. “Between us, I’m not too keen on being down here,” he says. “I’ve done some scouting, and I rate the stability of this structure as tenuous at best. Tread lightly.”
If SPIRE FALLEN , continue reading:
As you prepare to leave base camp, you take note of the damage done to the Estian ruins by the passage of the reclaimers: claw marks, shredded wall paneling, and the distinctive, all-too-familiar half-melted look indicating the presence of grubs.
Even as you shudder at the memory, you realize that something’s not quite right. Where are the reclaimers themselves? The place should be swarming with them, shouldn’t it? What could have happened to them all?
You draw your cloak a little more tightly as you proceed.