Heaven's Dogma (RP Thread)

[The_man_with_the_Midas_touch]

"Then it works out fer both o' us, then. One man's trash is 'nother man's treasure n' what not." Nimah said. Her eyes shifted to the suitcase her head had disappeared into. "By the by, do ya have 'nother one o' those?"

 

[AThe1412]

"Then it works out fer both o' us, then. One man's trash is 'nother man's treasure n' what not." Nimah said. Her eyes shifted to the suitcase her head had disappeared into. "By the by, do ya have 'nother one o' those?"

"Nope. And unfortunately for you, this one's not for sale.", Taiga replied.

 

[Backbackback]

"Then it works out fer both o' us, then. One man's trash is 'nother man's treasure n' what not." Nimah said. Her eyes shifted to the suitcase her head had disappeared into. "By the by, do ya have 'nother one o' those?"

Gwen would be stunned by the showings of Nimah just coming back. All this talk about heads and lifeless corpses were making her a little bit dizzy at the nose, trying to approach the Nimah that was actually alive and get close to that one instead of the thing she hurriedly clung onto without any semblance or way of knowing whether the one she was holding onto was alive or not. She swore she could've seen her body alive, but Kurai's feats were probably too fast for her eyes to see.

The foxian, meanwhile, just listened and sat on the floor, climbing down the ship's top down into the quarters near the source of commune. There, they would lend an ear — not quite literally — onto the masks. They couldn't have said much apart from them not finding any meaning to do so.

 

[azontr]

Event 1: In The Belly of the Beast​

The journey into the deepest recesses of the daemon centipede's insides grew more arduous with every few meters of stomach fluid they traversed. The masks protected them from the fumes frying their insides, but the waves of acid were only getting worse as the creature grew more agitated, it's stomach growling. Swift and skillful sailing allowed them to avoid getting a tidal wave of acid dropped onto them, but it was possible a few burns were sustained here and there.

About two hours of sailing had passed and the crew were starting to see what seemed to be a giant sign nailed into the thing's intestinal lining. The daemon's flesh melded with the wood, creating a... grotesque fusion of material and corrupted viscera. The sign read: "SMALL INTESTINE THIS WAY," an arrow painted in blood pointing the crew to where they would likely find civilization. Though for the Watcher and Taiga, they would simply be returning.

 

[AThe1412]

Event 1: In The Belly of the Beast​

The journey into the deepest recesses of the daemon centipede's insides grew more arduous with every few meters of stomach fluid they traversed. The masks protected them from the fumes frying their insides, but the waves of acid were only getting worse as the creature grew more agitated, it's stomach growling. Swift and skillful sailing allowed them to avoid getting a tidal wave of acid dropped onto them, but it was possible a few burns were sustained here and there.

About two hours of sailing had passed and the crew were starting to see what seemed to be a giant sign nailed into the thing's intestinal lining. The daemon's flesh melded with the wood, creating a... grotesque fusion of material and corrupted viscera. The sign read: "SMALL INTESTINE THIS WAY," an arrow painted in blood pointing the crew to where they would likely find civilization. Though for the Watcher and Taiga, they would simply be returning.

"Everybody, congratulations. We have traversed approximately 74 kilometers to reach this place. Hooray!", the captain softly exclaimed.

"Home sweet home, or should I say hell sweet hell because that's how much this place sucks?", Taiga chuckled.

"Eh, it's better than being melted alive at least.", the Witness shrugged.

"We'll be arriving at our destination soon. Hope you're all prepared to meet the locals. They may not be the brightest but they're very... hospitable.", the tiger said to the rest of the crew.

 

[DaReaperMan]

"Everybody, congratulations. We have traversed approximately 74 kilometers to reach this place. Hooray!", the captain softly exclaimed.

"Home sweet home, or should I say hell sweet hell because that's how much this place sucks?", Taiga chuckled.

"Eh, it's better than being melted alive at least.", the Witness shrugged.

"We'll be arriving at our destination soon. Hope you're all prepared to meet the locals. They may not be the brightest but they're very... hospitable.", the tiger said to the rest of the crew.

(You're allowed to say Aurum is there)

"Anyone worth noting there, Watcher? And what information is there on them?" Arkhan asked from her chair she'd seemingly slept in for 70 of those Kilometers.

 

[Backbackback]

Event 1: In The Belly of the Beast​

The journey into the deepest recesses of the daemon centipede's insides grew more arduous with every few meters of stomach fluid they traversed. The masks protected them from the fumes frying their insides, but the waves of acid were only getting worse as the creature grew more agitated, it's stomach growling. Swift and skillful sailing allowed them to avoid getting a tidal wave of acid dropped onto them, but it was possible a few burns were sustained here and there.

About two hours of sailing had passed and the crew were starting to see what seemed to be a giant sign nailed into the thing's intestinal lining. The daemon's flesh melded with the wood, creating a... grotesque fusion of material and corrupted viscera. The sign read: "SMALL INTESTINE THIS WAY," an arrow painted in blood pointing the crew to where they would likely find civilization. Though for the Watcher and Taiga, they would simply be returning.

Gwen was visibly disgusted by the sight, horrified and wanting to puke almost from the way she was holding on to the mask.

"I really wanna hold Nimah so baaadddd...." she muttered, finding that girl to be her source of joy and comfort in this otherwise unfair of a group. Not even the Kurai nor the weird watcher guy was gone do. They look creepy. And there's even that jerk who dared questioned her fashion.

The fox though... no comment, that gal (?) hasn't spoken much and... maybe that's for the better, she thinks. But, not forgetting just how eerie living inside a beast was going to be, she needed to find a way out of here...

"Everybody, congratulations. We have traversed approximately 74 kilometers to reach this place. Hooray!", the captain softly exclaimed.

"This is.... new." The Foxian commented. "No offense. Do you live here like parasites?" they asked, seemingly unbothered by the scene. The regeneration was doing it's work providing both warmth and cold to their body, albeit needing the mask to double the security.

 

[AThe1412]

(You're allowed to say Aurum is there)

"Anyone worth noting there, Watcher? And what information is there on them?" Arkhan asked from her chair she'd seemingly slept in for 70 of those Kilometers.

(Mandatory Skyrim reference)

"Hey, you're finally awake. I was just planning to tell you actually.", he cleared his throat before continuing.

"Ahem. I reckon you have heard of someone called the Lifebringer? Yes, it was her. That girl was the reason we were trapped here, though it wasn't entirely her fault. We had taken interest in Aurum's abilities so in order to learn more about them, we sought her out and eventually found her at an oasis. Unfortunately, she thought we had come with harmful intentions much like how you did with me in the past. She transformed and we were forced to face her guardian. Just when we had successfully talked him out of combat, this giant creature emerged to swallow the oasis whole and they were caught in the process. It must have sensed the meal that was us and the plants Aurum had brought to the land. We managed to escape the jaws of the daemon thanks to the guardian's distraction but we obviously couldn't leave them behind so... we followed them inside and the rest is history."

"This is.... new." The Foxian commented. "No offense. Do you live here like parasites?" they asked, seemingly unbothered by the scene. The regeneration was doing it's work providing both warmth and cold to their body, albeit needing the mask to double the security.

"Well yes, but actually no... You'll understand once we get there.", Taiga replied.

 

[DaReaperMan]

(Mandatory Skyrim reference)

"Hey, you're finally awake. I was just planning to tell you actually.", he cleared his throat before continuing.

"Ahem. I reckon you have heard of someone called the Lifebringer? Yes, it was her. That girl was the reason we were trapped here, though it wasn't entirely her fault. We had taken interest in Aurum's abilities so in order to learn more about them, we sought her out and eventually found her at an oasis. Unfortunately, she thought we had come with harmful intentions much like how you did with me in the past. She transformed and we were forced to face her guardian. Just when we had successfully talked him out of combat, this giant creature emerged to swallow the oasis whole and they were caught in the process. It must have sensed the meal that was us and the life Aurum had created. We were able evade it thanks to the guardian's distraction but we obviously couldn't leave them behind so... we followed them inside and the rest is history."

"You are a bellend." Arkhan sounded dumbfounded at best "I already told you when we discussed her to just not approach someone that young and to just watch her from a distance and wait for a chance to save her from something to prove good intentions!"

Arkhan just gave a sigh

"Aurum is her name, huh? What's her last name, the latin word for silver?" Arkhan asked, obviously joking

 

[azontr]

Kurai was wide awake for the entirety of the trip, the already noticeable bags formed under her crimson eyes becoming darker and more pronounced as time wont on. The woman didn't even yawn as she sat up, blinking a few times.

"...This is certainly a way to get the message across..." She says, looking up at the rather weird sign. "People actually live here...?"

 

[AThe1412]

"You are a bellend." Arkhan sounded dumbfounded at best

"Wha- Don't say that."

"I already told you when we discussed her to just not approach someone that young and to just watch her from a distance and wait for a chance to save her from something to prove good intentions!"

Arkhan just gave a sigh

"T-That's exactly what we did! We knew the centipede was in the area and tried to warn her about it. Furthermore, we have been protecting and helping her for the past 4 months. She would have probably died if we hadn't dived in to save her.", he reasoned.

"Aurum is her name, huh? What's her last name, the latin word for silver?" Arkhan asked, obviously joking

"Haha, funny you mention that... Aurum Argentea. It does have a nice ring to it."

Kurai was wide awake for the entirety of the trip, the already noticeable bags formed under her crimson eyes becoming darker and more pronounced as time wont on. The woman didn't even yawn as she sat up, blinking a few times.

"...This is certainly a way to get the message across..." She says, looking up at the rather weird sign. "People actually live here...?"

"Yup. The presentation may throw you off a little but trust me, they have more to offer than you'd expect.", Taiga responded.

 

[azontr]

"Yup. The presentation may throw you off a little but trust me, they have more to offer than you'd expect.", Taiga responded

"...Well, whatever. Lead the way, captain. Or whatever you're supposed to be." Kurai said with a shrug.

 

[Da3ggman]

(Finally back baby let’s gooo)

During all this time, Lucian had been….limp, unconscious, just sort of being dragged around by the group, waiting for him to wake up the entire trip through the beast. When suddenly…

Event 1: In The Belly of the Beast​

The journey into the deepest recesses of the daemon centipede's insides grew more arduous with every few meters of stomach fluid they traversed. The masks protected them from the fumes frying their insides, but the waves of acid were only getting worse as the creature grew more agitated, it's stomach growling. Swift and skillful sailing allowed them to avoid getting a tidal wave of acid dropped onto them, but it was possible a few burns were sustained here and there.

About two hours of sailing had passed and the crew were starting to see what seemed to be a giant sign nailed into the thing's intestinal lining. The daemon's flesh melded with the wood, creating a... grotesque fusion of material and corrupted viscera. The sign read: "SMALL INTESTINE THIS WAY," an arrow painted in blood pointing the crew to where they would likely find civilization. Though for the Watcher and Taiga, they would simply be returning.

“Ughh, my head…..where are we? What happened to the weird house and undead chariot?”

 

[azontr]

"Oh. You're alive. I thought the fall killed you." Kurai said, glancing down at Lucian with surprise.

 

[Da3ggman]

"Oh. You're alive. I thought the fall killed you." Kurai said, glancing down at Lucian with surprise.

Lucian slowly got up, rubbing his head. “A fall? Where’d we fall into, exactly? Some sort of deep, weirdly moist cave?” He asked groggily, still trying to recuperate from being passed out for so long.

 

[DaReaperMan]

"Wha- Don't say that."

"T-That's exactly what we did! We knew the centipede was in the area and tried to warn her about it. Furthermore, we have been protecting and helping her for the past 4 months. She would have probably died if we hadn't dived in to save her.", he reasoned.

"Did she see it? Long enough to know it was you? And die you approach her slowly from the front? Because I can't think of another way she would attack in fear."

"Haha, funny you mention that... Aurum Argentea. It does have a nice ring to it.".

"... Argentea is the last name then. Or the Maiden name. Her parents liked precious metals, huh..."

 

[azontr]

Lucian slowly got up, rubbing his head. “A fall? Where’d we fall into, exactly? Some sort of deep, weirdly moist cave?” He asked groggily, still trying to recuperate from being passed out for so long.

"...The centipede. You don't remember it?" Kurai said, raising an eyebrow. "It ate us, and we fell into it. According to tweedle dum, we're exactly 74 kilometers inside of it..."

 

[The_man_with_the_Midas_touch]

"Haha, funny you mention that... Aurum Argentea. It does have a nice ring to it."

"Aurem?" Nimah drawled. She had dozed off on the ship as it had floated through the acidic waters, her eyes still half-lidded.

"She anyone worth knowin'?"

"I really wanna hold Nimah so baaadddd...." she muttered, finding that girl to be her source of joy and comfort in this otherwise unfair of a group. Not even the Kurai nor the weird watcher guy was gone do. They look creepy. And there's even that jerk who dared questioned her fashion.

Nimah lazily stretched her arm out, draping it around Gwen's shoulder as she talked and letting her fingers press into the woman's opposite arm — she did little to acknowledge her presence otherwise.

 

[DaReaperMan]

"Aurem?" Nimah drawled. She had dozed off on the ship as it had floated through the acidic waters, her eyes still half-lidded.

"She anyone worth knowin'?"

"Not for people who would take advantage of the gifts she provides." Arkhan said, giving Nimah a side eye

 

[azontr]

"Oh, lay off..." Kurai shrugged, sighing. "If this Aurem chick has something to be taken advantage of, then that's nobody's problem but her own. Everyone's just trying to survive. Save the preaching for when the world isn't f*cked to hell, muscles."

 

[Da3ggman]

"...The centipede. You don't remember it?" Kurai said, raising an eyebrow. "It ate us, and we fell into it. According to tweedle dum, we're exactly 74 kilometers inside of it..."

“……What?” Instantly, Lucian turned white as a ghost, and began trembling in fear. “7-74 kilometers I-inside?!” As he peered around inside the “moist cave”, it all began adding up. Struggling to stand upright, the knight began wobbling side to side about to pass out again from the sheer shock.

 

[azontr]

"...Oi. Don't go passing out on us. Nobody's carrying your ass when reach port." Kurai groans, kneeling down and slapping Lucian in the face with a hard, boney hand to knock some sense into him. Though the helmet may have mitigated that, the vibrations would do something.

 

[DaReaperMan]

"Oh, lay off..." Kurai shrugged, sighing. "If this Aurem chick has something to be taken advantage of, then that's nobody's problem but her own. Everyone's just trying to survive. Save the preaching for when the world isn't f*cked to hell, muscles."

"Depends on if you want to eat actual food and drink actual water or not..." Arkhan responded simply

 

[Backbackback]

Nimah lazily stretched her arm out, draping it around Gwen's shoulder as she talked and letting her fingers press into the woman's opposite arm — she did little to acknowledge her presence otherwise.

"Eh? Was I speaking out loud? H-hey, I wasn't trying to-" Gwen stumbled and got beat red upon being touched. Of course, the tingles of it went haywire throughout her already exposed body, so she could only get flustered. "Haaaa... Why did I say thaaaaattttt????"

"Well yes, but actually no... You'll understand once we get there.", Taiga replied.

"I assume this isn't an elaborate scheme for something else. I trust your word..." they nodded back.

 

[The_man_with_the_Midas_touch]

"Not for people who would take advantage of the gifts she provides." Arkhan said, giving Nimah a side eye

Nimah raises up her hands, flashing a small smile.

"I ain't mean it like that. I make'a habit of keepin' track of interestin' people. Makes my job easier, ya understand." Nimah said lazily.

"Eh? Was I speaking out loud? H-hey, I wasn't trying to-" Gwen stumbled and got beat red upon being touched. Of course, the tingles of it went haywire throughout her already exposed body, so she could only get flustered. "Haaaa... Why did I say thaaaaattttt????"

"Eh? Ya said somthin'? I just wanted someone pretty under my arm." Nimah drawled. She glanced towards Gwen, giving her a small wink. "Less ya ain't keen on it." She gingerly moved her arm away, allowing her fingers to brush against the woman as they passed.

 

[Backbackback]

"Eh? Ya said somthin'? I just wanted someone pretty under my arm." Nimah drawled. She glanced towards Gwen, giving her a small wink. "Less ya ain't keen on it." She gingerly moved her arm away, allowing her fingers to brush against the woman as they passed

"Eh- nonononono!" Gwen shook her head, brushing herself close to Nimah, desiring not to be freed from her touch. "You said you want someone pretty, right? Then I'll be here as your keepsake.... So, please, don't.... let go...."

 

[Da3ggman]

"...Oi. Don't go passing out on us. Nobody's carrying your ass when reach port." Kurai groans, kneeling down and slapping Lucian in the face with a hard, boney hand to knock some sense into him. Though the helmet may have mitigated that, the vibrations would do something.

“H-Huh?! Oh, sorry about that, I’m just….not the biggest fan of bugs.” He replied, rubbing his cheek from the slap. “Well, if we’re stuck in this thing, egh, where exactly are we going?”

 

[AThe1412]

"...Well, whatever. Lead the way, captain. Or whatever you're supposed to be." Kurai said with a shrug.

"Big bro is mainly the one who fulfills that role. I'm his second-in-command, the strong crewmate you can always rely on.", Taiga said with a proud smile.

"Did she see it? Long enough to know it was you? And die you approach her slowly from the front? Because I can't think of another way she would attack in fear."

"Yes, we did all of those things. Maybe she was already attacked many times before that and was thus distrustful of whomever she met? She never told us why so Eye don't know. Eye will make sure to ask her later.", the Watcher answered.

 

[azontr]

“H-Huh?! Oh, sorry about that, I’m just….not the biggest fan of bugs.” He replied, rubbing his cheek from the slap. “Well, if we’re stuck in this thing, egh, where exactly are we going?”

"...Centipedes aren't bugs, technically. They're arthropods. Feel better?" Kurai muttered.

(I'll describe the "city" they enter in a sec.)

 

[Da3ggman]

"...Centipedes aren't bugs, technically. They're arthropods. Feel better?" Kurai muttered.

(I'll describe the "city" they enter in a sec.)

"Yeah, that doesn't really help that much; I appreciate you trying, though!" Lucian said, trying to get back to his chipper tone from before. "By the way, you've got quite a strong slap! It's been a while since something has stung like that."

 

[azontr]

"...It's all in the wrist." Kurai let out a hollow chuckle, "...But uh, yeah, my bones are hard. Helps in dealing damage when you don't have much strength going for you."

 

[DaReaperMan]

"Yes, we did all of those things. Maybe she was already attacked many times before that and was thus distrustful of whomever she met? She never told us why so Eye don't know. Eye will make sure to ask her later.", the Watcher answered.

"Or maybe her Dogma didn't trust you... I know what it's like to have a truly sentient Dogma in their head. What did they look like transformed?"

 

[AThe1412]

"Or maybe her Dogma didn't trust you... I know what it's like to have a truly sentient Dogma in their head. What did they look like transformed?"

"Never had that kind of problem with mine. They actually have two different forms that they can switch between without counting Aurum herself, though I'm pretty sure those two are the exact same entity. The first one is an armoured alien-looking humanoid, or at least that's the best description Eye can give him. He's armed with heat blades and can move really fast while generating electricity, fly, has a forcefield protecting him along with being a skilled fighter. As for the second transformation... well, Eye suspect that you're not the only one who's blessed with the powers of a 'deity'. Take a wild guess."

 

[The_man_with_the_Midas_touch]

"Eh- nonononono!" Gwen shook her head, brushing herself close to Nimah, desiring not to be freed from her touch. "You said you want someone pretty, right? Then I'll be here as your keepsake.... So, please, don't.... let go...."

Nimah glanced at Gwen for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Yer pretty clingy, ain'tcha..." Nimah murmured. She rested her arm across the woman's shoulder again, slowly pulling her closer, until their shoulders touched. "...But I wouldn't mind addin' ya to the collection, keepsake..."

 

[Backbackback]

Nimah glanced at Gwen for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "Yer pretty clingy, ain'tcha..." Nimah murmured. She rested her arm across the woman's shoulder again, slowly pulling her closer, until their shoulders touched. "...But I wouldn't mind addin' ya to the collection, keepsake..."

"Heyyyy, I didn't mean it lite---....." She didn't bother. It was a waste of words trying to appeal to something Gwen clearly wants. "Course I'm clingy.... got a problem with that?" Her head laid to the side of Nimah's shoulder, wiping her face as if to rid herself off the red cheeks.

 

[azontr]

A structure of wood, metal and shame comes into view as the Mandjet passes by the sign leading them to the small intestine. Or perhaps it's a collection of structures, all interconnected and moving as one through a sea of toxic bile and clouds of deadly fumes.

The first platform is most likely a residential area, people from quite a few walks of life seemingly living out their days trapped in the belly of the beast. They conversate, they laugh and live in many ways better than they would've on the outside, in the hellish apocalypse brought about by the Machine God. They don't have what can be considered 'houses', but they have geometric structures forged from metal and rubble that they likely called homes.

The second platform is significantly busier than the first, sounds of footsteps and pain radiating from the higher stratum. Up there they exchange whatever goods, wreckage or undigested resources they can salvage from within the daemon's stomach. Whether it be old tools, currency, "food", anything that can be used is taken to the second stratum and used to create what one may consider a "merchant's district" of sorts.

There is a third platform, but it has yet to be finished. Many people can be seen using whatever materials they can salvage from their city floating in the bile of the daemon to build a third stratum, though its purpose is yet to be known.

The Mandjet floats into what seems like a port on the first stratum, the small ship colliding with the platform as if it was landing on an island. A man with no skin grabs a chain with a hook on the end and hooks the Mandjet to the platform, being dragged along just like many other ships connected along the edge of the first stratum.

"Mrmrmmm...." The skinless man's words come out as gibberish, given he has no lips, but it seems he was giving the group the O-Kay to exit their ship once he'd properly fastened it to the first stratum's edge.

 

[AThe1412]

A structure of wood, metal and shame comes into view as the Mandjet passes by the sign leading them to the small intestine. Or perhaps it's a collection of structures, all interconnected and moving as one through a sea of toxic bile and clouds of deadly fumes.

The first platform is most likely a residential area, people from quite a few walks of life seemingly living out their days trapped in the belly of the beast. They conversate, they laugh and live in many ways better than they would've on the outside, in the hellish apocalypse brought about by the Machine God. They don't have what can be considered 'houses', but they have geometric structures forged from metal and rubble that they likely called homes.

The second platform is significantly busier than the first, sounds of footsteps and pain radiating from the higher stratum. Up there they exchange whatever goods, wreckage or undigested resources they can salvage from within the daemon's stomach. Whether it be old tools, currency, "food", anything that can be used is taken to the second stratum and used to create what one may consider a "merchant's district" of sorts.

There is a third platform, but it has yet to be finished. Many people can be seen using whatever materials they can salvage from their city floating in the bile of the daemon to build a third stratum, though its purpose is yet to be known.

The Mandjet floats into what seems like a port on the first stratum, the small ship colliding with the platform as if it was landing on an island. A man with no skin grabs a chain with a hook on the end and hooks the Mandjet to the platform, being dragged along just like many other ships connected along the edge of the first stratum.

"Mrmrmmm...." The skinless man's words come out as gibberish, given he has no lips, but it seems he was giving the group the O-Kay to exit their ship once he'd properly fastened it to the first stratum's edge.

"Heya Skinner. New haircut? Looking fresh as always.", Taiga greeted him in a humorous way.

"This guy is one of the friendly faces you'll meet around here. People 'change' when they gain a Dogma and in Skinner's case, it was for the worse. We've tried helping grow a new skin but not only was having it an agonizing experience for him, it started decomposing after a few days and eventually came right off. The reason he's content with his appearance now is because it doesn't bring him pain and because others have grown to accept the way he is. Oh, sorry. I shouldn't be telling you all of this, should I?", the captain said to the group.

 

[azontr]

Skinner chuckled. It was funny because he didn't have a scalp, and thus didn't have any hair.

"I just thought he'd had all of his skin cut off. Both are believable..." Kurai murmured as she steps off of the boat and onto the first stratum. It's a bit unusual—she'd never been on a ship before, especially one that was sailing in daemon stomach fluid, so it took a bit to get her balance on the slightly swaying structure.

 

[DaReaperMan]

"Gruesome. Interesting." Arkhan commented, giving the man a passing glance

"Never had that kind of problem with mine. They actually have two different forms that they can switch between without counting Aurum herself, though I'm pretty sure those two are the exact same entity. The first one is an armoured alien-looking humanoid, or at least that's the best description I can give him. He's armed with heat blades and can move really fast while generating electricity, fly, has a forcefield protecting him along with being a skilled fighter. As for the second transformation... well, I suspect that you're not the only one who's blessed with the powers of a 'deity'. Take a wild guess."

"Hmph." Arkhan's eyes narrowed a bit, but she didnt respond immediately

 

[Backbackback]

The Mandjet floats into what seems like a port on the first stratum, the small ship colliding with the platform as if it was landing on an island. A man with no skin grabs a chain with a hook on the end and hooks the Mandjet to the platform, being dragged along just like many other ships connected along the edge of the first stratum.

"Mrmrmmm...." The skinless man's words come out as gibberish, given he has no lips, but it seems he was giving the group the O-Kay to exit their ship once he'd properly fastened it to the first stratum's edge.

"This guy is one of the friendly faces you'll meet around here. People 'change' when they gain a Dogma and in Skinner's case, it was for the worse. We've tried helping grow a new skin but not only was having it an agonizing experience for him, it started decomposing after a few days and eventually came right off. The reason he's content with his appearance now is because it doesn't bring him pain and because others have grown to accept the way he is. Oh, sorry. I shouldn't be telling you all of this, should I?", the captain said to the group.

"It's alright." the Foxian commented, nodding as their ears would soon do so. "I just find it oddly strange to find a civilization under here of all places. It's different from the homes I've visited in The Citadel...."