[center][img]http://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjg4Ljk3NDcyYi5SV0Z5ZEdobGJpQk1aV2RoWTNrLC4w/thedeadarecoming.regular.png[/img]

[img]https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/play-rust/images/0/0a/Metal_Ore_icon.png/revision/latest?cb=20151106060814[/img]

[url=https://youtu.be/B4QuDXuYG-8]Listen As You Read: The Forgotten Ruins[/url]

[@Syn][@Reflection][@LadyinInk][/center]

[hr]

Nothing.

This was most definitely a ghost town. No, ruins of a city long forgotten by history. The unique architecture and design of the humanoid edifices would leave the whole team at a loss as to what they could possibly be inspired from. Their sensory abilities would yield nothing but the depressing prospect that they were very much alone in this desolate place. Not even a spec of movement or even chakra of any form of wildlife other than the meager existence of desert plants growing at the very edges of the domed ruins.

With sensory abilities bearing little to not fruits, and the cold realization that they were completely in the dark, the team had no other choice but to follow Shizuka's suggestion: Following the only semblance of a path. The rails were metallic, and in good shape compared to what they were surrounded by. Although clear signs of frequent use could be detected sporadically. It seemed they were maintained whenever they were still used, with portions newer than others, with less dents and the such. They led through curves and bridges, none of them being trapped in any way. No, there was also a distinct lack of weapons or even tools. As if the place had been completely picked clean.

Finally, the rails would lead to one of the big, stone walls that served as boundaries on this isolated city. As they closed in, it was visible those who could actually see that it led deep in there with an opening large enough to welcome much larger entities. However this entrance would pale in comparison to the conspicuous nature of the two humanoid golems standing on each side of it, facing each other in a parallel manner and each raising a stylized double ax diagonally at the opposing direction. It looked almost as if these sculpted weapons were 'clashing'. The golems were almost identical to the one that they had crossed before, sans the weapon. They stood solemn, as if they were more than decorations, but guardians, guiding those worthy into whatever this cavern held.

Once at the dark cavern's entrance, where the rail's path continued, the more observant of our protagonists could very well notice the first piece of culture left somewhat intact by whatever had inhabited this area before. Perhaps defended by these crossed, stone axes for they would only be able to get a proper angle for it once a certain distance. The piece of art was rather sober, and interpretation impossible. But with a keen enough eye, they could very well notice the inscriptions carved onto the art, blending in perfectly with the representation.

Two languages could be detected. One that they all knew and was commonly spoken in the shinobi world, and one far more similar to the glyphs they had previously seen.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/kOmrKBy.png[/img]

[i]Fan'shuo. Blessed with infinite resources and life.
Our founders, the rejected, reveled in the Phonzite. And the world grew to envy them and their focus.
The Winds and Earth would come to regret their transgressions.
We of Fan'Shuo are proud, but not foolish as they were. We shall bless them as we were blessed.
For we fear the Worm.[/i][/center]

Phonzite, a metal coveted by renown blacksmith. A renown ore refined to make the best of tools. It is said that the Sage of the Six Paths used such a metal to craft one of his legendary tools. The team had no other choice by to march into the dark tunnel, in which the rails guided them through. There, with their vision adaption and perhaps a little initiative to illuminate the area, they'd start to notice this black ore protruding from the earth, distinguishing itself from the other rocks.

Impure Phonzite, the cheaper, highly mined byproduct of the real deal. It'd become evident that they had been sent into a mining facility, one big enough to house an entire settlement of people with their own culture and livelihood. The walk wouldn't be too long until they'd finally see light, however.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/TAlJ6tv.jpg[/img][/center]

What they would stumble upon would be none other than turntable for railways. One directly connecting the rails they had been following to six other paths. Two were completely shut down by immense rock slides, and seemed to be supporting even more massive rubble above it. Perhaps not the best idea to dig through. While the others had metallic doors all sealing them. And speaking of which, once our protagonists all in the circular room, they would be suddenly locked in by another of these metal doors. They could try to break them, but it seemed they were designed to withstand particularly strong blows. Added to that, they'd notice the foundation of the area was old, brittle and certainly not reliable. Perhaps avoiding big impacts would be the best?

The floor was also metallic, preventing any digging under, as such initiative would often create problems in the earth's structure, and be an unnecessary safety hazard! But beyond that, they would notice just on the right of the largest door, the one opposite to the one they came from, would have an hourglass set over some strange mechanism. And just their luck, said hourglass would flip over, once a click would be heard a few moments after the sealing of the room. The unnerving silence of this empty mine would be constantly disturbed by the slowly increasing amount of sand now dripping from the hourglass.

Further investigation of this red-flag inducing mechanism would reveal what was very obviously a switch connected to the Turntable, and the hourglass itself. A button, with a peculiar V-Like Symbol. A small line of instructions was to be found right under said conspicuous switch. Once again, there were to iterations of this scripture.

[center][i]To the Uncertain and Distressed
Activate the Switch 
And Remember your Focus[/i][/Center]

And just as they could even begin to assess the situation, they would feel the slightest of tremors under their feet, and the cracks on the ceiling ever so branching out, as the hourglass kept its pace.