Nakahama

Sumiko turned her lantern towards the entrance.

"Ah Moto-sama" she realised the issue "Kitsune-sama is a shugenja, he's communicating with the water kami to try and find out where the water and the fish come from beyond this cavern so we can ensure that while we might be helping to create the habitat here it's not going to suffer from water or fish blockages."

''Okay...'' she was not sure what was the issue ''...if there is water with fish in...then the water is obviously flowing from somewhere into somewhere else. No? Else the water would have gone rank and fish don't really develop in small closed of spaces''

Even she knew that

He considered his last question for a time. "What else returns to the see with the fish?"

"Whatever wishes to travel with me is welcome." The spirit said. "And much does. But life that is accustomed to the water may find the journey difficult."

And with that, it sank back into the pool, to be seen and heard no longer.

"I'm not certain of the exact nature of the water cycle, but the pool does flow out to the sea, as do the fish." The Fox told the others.

Moto Shiwahime wrote: Wed Nov 26, 2025 5:02 pm ''Okay...'' she was not sure what was the issue ''...if there is water with fish in...then the water is obviously flowing from somewhere into somewhere else. No? Else the water would have gone rank and fish don't really develop in small closed of spaces''

Even she knew that

"Water *staying* fresh is the main concern here. If Jimen are expected to come and nest there may be debris or contamination to consider...." He rose to his full height.... and smacked himself in the head on one of the sections with a lower ceiling. He curls up against a wall, hands holding the impact spot.

"Why'd the ceiling need to be so low..."

"They used to nest here before," Sorato explains to Hinata. "Look, you can still see the old nesting material in some of these corners." He plays the holorecorder with its tiny spotlight over one such deposit of avian fluff and scraps of vegetation.

Hopefully his images and recordings won't look too much like found footage in a terrifying movie, given the low-light conditions.

"The water quality must not have been much compromised by their being here--it sounds like they used it for some time. Still would be, if not for that cave-in," he adds, more generally to the others. "I wouldn't suggest making other changes now. We know it was suitable for them before, so let's see how they take to it again. Much too easy to create unintended consequences trying to 'improve' the habitat when we don't totally understand it yet." He rubs his cheek. "Still, I could dive down there if you want to try for a depth measurement today, Kakita-san."

--
((Sorato can swim, but more to the point he also has the water-breathing spell.))

Haruhi considered.

"It would be helpful to our surveying to show the depth of the lake and where it flows out. If there is a safe way to get that data."

"Have we also verified there are no other paths out of this chamber?" She held up her lantern and looked around.

"It would also matter for any perseveration setup here to ensure that the route out to sea is also protected" Sumiko offered as she went over to Hinata, kneeling down near him and saying "need me to look at that?"

Hinata stifled his grunting and groaning as he squatted down against a wall. As Sumiko offers he takes a deep breath before turning around and moving his mask to his side.

"I'm pretty sure I'll just get a bump from it." He says as he tilts his head forward for Sumi to get a look at the top of his head.

"We should probably find a sort of drone for that. Cave exploration is dangerous enough. Adding diving to the equation might just be too dangerous." He offers as he is examined by the spider.

Kakita Haruhi wrote: Thu Nov 27, 2025 6:52 am "Have we also verified there are no other paths out of this chamber?" She held up her lantern and looked around.

There do not seem to be any other above-water paths out of the chamber.

However, the large pool does definitely have some flow to it.

Sorato casts a slightly concerned glance at Hinata, but it looks like Sumiko is on top of that situation.

"It's fine. The water kami won't let me drown," Sorato says with a quick smile. "Easier if one of these conelanterns is waterproof? If not, though, point one or two down there and I should be all right. I won't squeeze down any tight tunnels, just scout the bottom." He drops his daypack to the cavern floor with a soft thump and extracts a coil of thin climbing rope from an inside pocket. "I can take an end of this down for a rough measure. Didn't bring a suit or towel, though," he adds, a touch sheepishly.

Bayushi Hinata wrote: Thu Nov 27, 2025 8:46 am"I'm pretty sure I'll just get a bump from it." He says as he tilts his head forward for Sumi to get a look at the top of his head.

Sumiko tipped his head forward slightly so she could look at the top of his head.

"No blood, so looks like just a small bump to remind you that you're not as small as some of us" Sumiko chuckled as she stepped back "be careful ok? The jimen tori don't need to return and find a Scorpion in their nests."

The Scorpion crosses his legs and remains there for his examination, he flinches at a particular prodding of the spot. He removed his mask to reveal a sullen expression.

"It's not all that's hyped up to be it seems..."


"Mine is waterproof. Haruhi-san has it., I don't mind lending you my mask for some added protection, though I won't know for certain how much good night vision will do you in pitch darkness."

Shiwahime was begin to wonder the magnitude of how they might just be overthinking this whole endeavor.

She shrugged and moved back to clean and put the tools away

Agasha Sorato wrote: Thu Nov 27, 2025 12:20 pm Sorato casts a slightly concerned glance at Hinata, but it looks like Sumiko is on top of that situation.

"It's fine. The water kami won't let me drown," Sorato says with a quick smile. "Easier if one of these conelanterns is waterproof? If not, though, point one or two down there and I should be all right. I won't squeeze down any tight tunnels, just scout the bottom." He drops his daypack to the cavern floor with a soft thump and extracts a coil of thin climbing rope from an inside pocket. "I can take an end of this down for a rough measure. Didn't bring a suit or towel, though," he adds, a touch sheepishly.

"We can step out if you'd like to explore it privately. I can give you the waterproof lantern."

"It does make me think there should be koi-drones like avi-drones, but fish-shaped and waterproof. That could be a whole new field of drone engineering."

"I can shine my light down from above to guide the way also" Sumiko offered, giving Haruhi a smile about her idea "that would make exploring here easier. I could make it if someone got me the parts, but I'd need longer than we have now."

"As long as no one's offended by, err... well, underwear," Sorato says with a wry look. "Well, let's see." Another incantation chanted from his holoslate produces... not much in the way of visual effects, actually. But Kiyoshi, at least, might sense the water kami in the chamber becoming more alert. "Ah, good, that's working."

Sorato ties a loop in the rope to attach to his belt, then begins, after a moment's diffidence, to strip down to his shorts. He turns his back on the rest of the group in (somewhat ineffectual) modesty. "There's fifty feet of length here. If one of you pays out the other end we can get a rough measure... unless it's really, really deep."

He stuffs his tabi into his boots and begins to wade out into the pool!

--

D8 LM--One with the Waves (ML2) for cave dive. Deficiency. | 5k3 ⇒ 40 (TN: 15)

Hinata steps to the edge of the water, holding the rope firmly before tying it around hir arm. Giving Soratoshi a nod as he enters the water.

Sumiko had moved closer to shine the light into the water, helping where she could.