ANGELS FALL INTO THE UNDERWORLD

There are no alarm blaring this time, no signals dispatched to the Outsiders’ oculars. With all of the organization down, the Angels of LILITH are left on their own to find the source of this crisis and solve it. And find it they did: an effort led by Aventurine, Jinx, Rin and Murasama was able to locate Ereshkigal somewhere underground in the country of Iraq. Raidou was able to ascertain that this location is Kûr - the Underworld spoken of in ancient Sumerian legends - and Tezcatlipoca used his divinity to confirm what many feared: the missing goddess has been corrupted and has become a calamity attempting to end humanity. What of the seven others who have disappeared? Tsurumaru, Ratio, Silco, Godzilla, Yzak, Bakugou and Hiyori? Are they corrupted too or are they prisoners? And what of Yuji who foolishly leaped into a rift in an attempt to rescue his friends? According to Dante’s efforts to connect with them, they are safe but they aren’t exactly in their right mind. But in what way?

Those questions may be answered soon as Outsiders depart for their next mission. Yesod and Shinn were able to further refine the search and identify the location of the Underworld’s entrance: in the archaeological dig of Nimrud, where the ruins of the Temple of Ishtar are found. Gilgamesh, who is seemingly a regular of Kûr, may be able to guide the Outsiders once they get there.

The trip to Kish however is nothing like previous travels. Where LILITH is typically an organized and orderly organization, the Outsiders have to devise their own methods of getting there. Kaga and Akagi are flying LILITH’s cruiser to Kish and will take anyone willing to go with them. Others may also use a data portal to go to Egypt and from there travel to Iraq - it is the longest way, but also perhaps the safest?

Upon arriving, the heat is scorching and the sight is one unlike any the Outsiders have seen before. No futuristic buildings nor old-fashioned houses can be found - instead, there are the ruins of a three thousand years old city. Dr. Masuda welcomes the Outsiders, explaining to them the ongoing archaeological efforts that have been undertaken to restore the site thanks to modern technology.

And indeed, a few ancient buildings on the outskirts of the ruined city are fully restored. Due to the unique circumstances, Outsiders are allowed to use them and enjoy all the comfort from ancient times. Though there are beds, they are made with reeds with stone pillows; if you are fortunate, you may find one of the few pillows made with wool and feathers. At the very least, as far as food is concerned the Outsiders will not suffer: the archaeologists offer bread, cheese, and meat stews all cooked in the ways of ancient Mesopotamia. Blank clay tablets and reed pens can also be found, toys for children made of clay and little statues depicting various deities. There are also a lot of broken statues, and Dr. Masuda has an explanation for those.

"Our troubles began last month with an earthquake. Upon assessing the damage, we found all of Ishtar’s iconography throughout the ruins destroyed. What’s weird is that nothing else’s been damaged - it’s like someone or something vandalized all things related to her. Then in the deepest chamber of the temple, we found a tunnel that wasn’t there before. According to our tools it leads to an underground cave. Dr. Jones and his team decided to explore it, but they haven’t returned yet."

He will take the Outsiders to the Temple of Ishtar, which still lays in ruins and hasn’t been restored. Statues depicting the goddess are all shattered, and upon reaching the deepest chamber underground: an opening. Flashing a light inside will reveal a tunnel with no end in sight. As they stand by the opening, Outsiders will find their tracker rings and localization magics reactivating: their companions are deep inside the cave.

After a period of traveling through the dark cavern, the air is cool and smells sharply of earth and iron. They will be greeted by a pale glow. When they come close, they will see the light coming from several cages that line a single path which leads them deeper and deeper - all identical to the one Ereshkigal is usually seen carrying around.

They might notice random pitfalls of various depths and strange rock formations with characters scratched into the surface. Were those the names of long lost Outsiders or maybe figures from home? They disappear when you look away, becoming illegible after. Was it maybe a trick? Further up ahead, figures can be seen and voices can be heard in the distance.

Those who decide to run ahead will find themselves facing someone from their past. They act normally at first but after a while, the Outsider may notice something amiss. Regardless of who they are, they will try to convince the Outsider to "join them." Should the Outsider falter, they may be afflicted by the Rift, triggering feelings of grief and regret and even make them turn on their allies.

For those strong enough to resist the illusions, the figures become frustrated and lash out. They shed their illusions and reveal themselves to be skeletal spirits that slash at the Outsiders with sharp claws. They are relentless but simple enough to defeat with regular attacks.

Defeat the spirits and carry on ahead to find a mausoleum: the sealed gate. Many gallû spirits guard the gate. A dark, hooded figure calls out from atop the mausoleum. They look down on the Outsiders with cold, steely eyes.

"I didn't expect so many to make it this far. I'm surprised."

The figure draws their sword and on cue, the spirits attack. Defeat them to enter the mausoleum and fall deeper into the underworld.

As Outsiders descend further into the Underworld, the ocular network becomes spotty, making it difficult to keep in contact with each other, though it is still possible with concentrated effort.

Upon exiting a narrow passageway, they are greeted with a pathway that branches into two, with what seems like Rifts at each end. Despite their appearance, they do not give off any Rift energy, nor do they cause any Rift poisoning symptoms.

Cackling laughter resounds as a Gallû Spirit bursts into existence from blue flames. When it speaks, the voice that comes out of it is eerily familiar:

“You’ve proven you can fight, but what of your mind? Use your brain and make your way towards me, or suffer a foolish death.”

Immediately, the world descends into chaos. It blurs, twists and undulates unpleasantly. Colors mix, yet somehow retain their shape. It is a vivid hallucination, as if one had taken psychedelic drugs. The Gallû Spirit cackles again as it disappears, leaving them to their doom.

Entering either portal will lead Outsiders to a wide cavern with even more portals. The cracks in the ground and streams of deep, rushing water are wide enough to fall into. There are slopes, rocky platforms and other natural cave hazards. Portals dot the walls and ceiling, tilted sideways or even upside down. Others traversing the maze can be seen sideways and upside down, even if they feel they're right side up. It's an Escher maze. For the especially keen, they may notice the faint scent of chalk lingering around some portals. Or, instead of the echoes of cave ambiance, the portals emit silence with the occasional flutter of a page, as if they’re in a library.

Once they find the exit, Outsiders are greeted with a gate decorated with Greco-Roman motifs, sandwiched between stone shelves lined with carvings of tablets, books and scrolls. Sitting atop the frame that juts out of the rocky walls is a familiar man in unfamiliar form, playing with a cube containing a blue flame and looking bored out of his mind.

“Not bad. Five points.”

From the last gate, Outsiders will have to navigate semi-narrow passageways and fissures, lined with bioluminescent mushrooms. It’s easy to get lost, so make sure to use the buddy system to make your way through! It opens into a chasm, leading to a dock, and a lake. The buildings around the dock are decrepit and old.

In the middle of the lake, there is sharp ironwork interlaced with patches of stained bottle glass, and the top is inset with a small, teal gem. Getting to the gate seems easy. It’s just in the middle of the lake, and a little swim never hurt anybody, right? If Outsiders try to swim, it will subject them to rift poisoning, and staring at it might tempt them to jump in.

There are Gallû spirits are dressed up like half-pint thugs, and their glass covered faces are pretty disarming! They wait alongside five monstrous forms in shredded clothing that the particularly observant will notice look like explorer’s garb – it’s Dr. Jones and the missing archaeologists!

"Do you know the difference between a man and a monster? Is it a fact of nature, is it something one is born with? Is a monster truly just nature? Sometimes, but not necessarily. Being a monster is often a choice. Becoming a monster is simple. It takes a simple choice. It means you have chosen to do whatever it takes, to take what you want. To hold power in your hands. We all understand that. Can you become the monsters you must become, to survive?"

With the last word, the archaeologists and the Gallû spirits attack. Though difficult, if Outsiders are able to defeat Dr. Jones and his crew of corrupted, shimmered archaeologists and Silco, then a path towards the door will lift from beneath the water to the gate.

As the Outsiders descend a black staircase, they find a towering gate lit by flickering blue flames and a brick path leading to an endless field of lava. Thunder cracks as rain hisses against the magma. Overhead, clouds churn, lightning dancing through the Underworld’s ceiling.

A roar echoes from the gate and Gallû Spirits rise from the stones, clad in cheap monster suits like in a low-budget film. Both these spirits and the erratic lightning strikes are a threat as the kaiju unleashes torrents of malevolent red energy. The violent red energy pulses through its body, shining along its scales and feathers.

█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: 𒃀𒀭𒂠𒍠𒁠𒇠𒇠𒀀
HEIGHT: 13m
WEIGHT: ???
CLASS: Extremely Dangerous
LOCATION: The Underworld
ABILITIES: Produces a high temperature energy and is capable of using it as a method of ranged attack. Armored Scales, sharp teeth and claws, tail is likewise a dangerous weapon. Intelligent. Amphibious, resistant to extreme climates.
WEAKNESSES: EMP effects can interfere with the creature’s energy attacks. Exposure to music or verse causes confusion that will make attacking easier. Angering it will cause the creature to fight more recklessly, leaving openings that can be exploited.
EXTRA NOTES: Exercise caution attacking the creature from behind, do not engage it should it enter water.
RIFT EFFECTS: Corruption, Sumerian Fever

█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:

CW: GORE, LOSS OF LIMBSThe battle is savage, with Lucy and Gilgamesh delivering the strongest blows. Lucy’s attack lands early in the fight, and the confusion caused to the kaiju by Raidou and Taryon’s recitals coupled with Akagi, Donatello, and Dearka’s musical interference allows for a clean cut that removes the beast’s right arm! Thanks to Hunter’s ice magic, the beast is frozen solid in ice long enough for Kadaj to strike in deeply! Bravely, Muramasa allows Cagalli’s Akatsuki to throw him towards the kaiju like an angry sword wielding baseball. Capitalizing on Godzilla’s weakened legs Athrun seizes his tail and sends Godzilla tumbling to the ground. Nanami further unbalances the kaiju, allowing Gilgamesh to capitalize on this with his own attacks, the force of which knocks the kaiju hard enough that the tail rips right off!
END CW
This makes Godzilla very upset and sends him into a rampage! Thankfully, Aventurine’s falling poker chips keep everyone from the worst of the retributions. Aki, Vash, Lucy, Geto, and Shinn manage to land in attacks even as the continued damage leads to Godzilla charging his attack, the red glow from his mouth intensifying. All of those efforts give the perfect opening for Harumasa’s arrow to land a perfect hit! His arrow flies true, finding a gap in the scales of the kaiju's throat and delivering an electric shock into his body, sending the beast falling to the ground with that final decisive blow.

The kaiju manages to rise to his knees for a brief moment, so he can fire a final blast of red energy skyward, igniting the clouds and dispelling the storm. The majority of Rift Energy has been purged from his system. Fully spent, he collapses with the glow fading from his body. The spirits vanish, magma cools, and the path ahead clears.

Beyond this gate is an area of respite. A field of clay flowers and sculpted trees awaits, devoid of all life but providing a chance to rest and recover after their trials.

Welcome to the 6th travel log but 8th kaiju log... We'll just call it the 8th kaiju log. As mentioned in the last mingle, the June event is a player plot in which the Outsiders have come together in order to resolve the present crisis.

In this event, all seven gates of the Underworld will have to be crossed and their guardians defeated! However, your character doesn’t need to play out going through every gate. They can let others deal with the earlier gates to focus on later gates. Though they are not featured in this log, Yzak, Bakugou, Hiyori and Ereshkigal will have their own trial/battle in the second log. It is possible to encounter them in this log if they have a top level and come to check on their fellow guardians protecting the earlier gates.

This event is longer than usual so please refer to the event breakdown below for summaries if necessary. Additional information may be provided in top levels of characters involved in the player plot planning.