[RPG] Sword and Sorcery Play-by-Post

[CJC]

@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, as you press the button at the base of the statue of the WOMAN, you feel a tremendous sense of peril. You leap back just before a trapdoor opens up beneath you. Looking down, you see it leads to some kind of JAIL CELL. It looks like that button was not the right one to press.
What do you do?

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@bigjoe
Jerias, you travel DOWNSTREAM towards the WATER WHEEL. There is a door near it; you gently open it to find a fully functioning BREWERY, several stories tall. A small utility stairwell goes up four floors. Flocks of birds fly around the devices, apparently performing the necessary maintenance operations. What IS this place?
What do you do?

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@mrz84
Zataka, upon returning to the LOBBY you find a grand staircase leading up to the front door. It appears to have emerged from the wall you scaled down earlier. There is also a fully furnished walkway on the floor above you, leading to the various second-floor doors of the AVIARY and LIBRARY. You wonder if these stairs were always present, and if something simply made them SOLID.
What do you do?

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@Xyvol
Malichor, you ask the apprentice about the master of the mansion.
"He's afraid. He spends so much time in his study now, using rats and crows as ephemeral appendages to bring him what he needs. Ever since we had that brush with that DRAGON he's been terrified of corruption. Honestly it's driving him a little mad; I hope he will feel safe again soon.
I keep telling him all that gold is a nuisance, even UNDER THE MANSION like that. Dragons love that stuff."
Toma sighs,
"I just don't know what to do for him anymore."
You ask the apprentice specifically about the master's relationship with the bartender.
"Who? Oh, that guy that buys the herbs. Ugh, don't get me started on that, they're a placebo."
You ask why the herbs aren't real.
"Well, they are real enough if you subscribe to the traditional views of magic. But really all they are is a physical object on which someone may place their disbelief, thereby protecting them from magical effects. I could grind up some mint and sell it to you and it would have the same effect if I told you it did."
He mentioned some place beneath the mansion as if that is where the study is located.
What do you do?

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@SUCCESSOR
Reven, the rat lets out a deep laugh, full of heart and merriment.
"Seventh of the post meridian. Ah, it's been so long since I've had a legitimate visitor. It seems nowadays the only people who come around are stuffy apprentices and adventurers looking to snatch my gold! Tell me, what's your story?"
You tell him your name is Reven and you were out looking for something to fill your flask on this cold autumn night.
"Ah, a man of the brew I see. Perhaps you'd like to see my brewery, it's down the hall over there. I do rather like to take in the spirits. Merriment, food, parties... oh how I miss them so. My name is TELIVAR, Hedge Wizard, Mayor, Brewmaster, Chocolateer, Magister, Horticulturalist, and Freelance Novelist. I am a collector of titles."
You ask why he doesn't host parties anymore.
"People don't take well to my... peculiarities. It has been quite a while since I made an appearance in person; too high a risk of contamination."
Contamination?
"Haven't you noticed? No, perhaps it isn't apparent to someone who isn't looking for it. Tell you what, the next time you go for a hike in the woods, count the number of dragons you spot in the sky."
He pours another drink.
"Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we'll all be dragged into another dimension."
You have no idea what this... rat... is talking about. Perhaps he was right about the liquor having a big effect on such a small body.
What do you do?

[CJC]

@bigjoe
Jerias, you climb the stairwell, your feet making uncomfortable clicks as your talons tap against the reinforced metal floor. At the SECOND level and THIRD level you find doors leading out of the brewery. There is also a VALVE HANDLE that appears to have fallen away from the stills. One of the birds turns away from its work and looks at you. It cringes, recoiling, and flies as far away as it can. The other birds similarly abandon their posts. What is it about you that fills them with such aversion? The little fire inside of you cries out, as if it wants to embrace them in its flames.
What do you do?

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@mrz84
Zataka, as you enter the AVIARY you see SANCIREPH press a button at the base of the lizard statue. He slowly descends into the floor as if by lift, which closes behind him as he disappears. Panicked you tap the button a few times, but it seems to be frozen while the mechanism does its work. You hurry to the second floor to look for another way to control the device, but instead find a GRAPPLING HOOK left by the woman who attacked you earlier.
The other two statues have buttons of their own at the base. Alternatively, you could take the stairs down into the CELLAR to see if you can spot your companion as he descends.
What do you do?

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@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, as you press the button at the base of the lizard a sense of rightness washes over you. Of course! The dragon's soul is flame, so it shapes everything around it. That statue was the one triggering the changes in the shadows of the other two. The floor beneath you begins to descend at a comfortable pace; you believe you've found a secret passage and your suspicions are soon confirmed.
You find yourself high above a SEA OF GOLD! This room is enormous, a great cube roughly fifty yards on each axis, filled halfway with wonderful piles of glittering gold. You are roughly ten yards above this sea, looking down at a full-sized WARSHIP sailing in circles on the riches. Wait, can ships sail on solid metal? Given the mansion wizard's taste for the extravagant, you feel there is some manner of magic at work here.
What do you do?

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@Xyvol
Malichor, Toma explains that Telivar had a personal clash with a dragon when it attacked the mansion a few weeks ago, and ever since he hasn't left the study, instead operating via proxy with the rats and the crows.
"He drove the beast off but was injured during the fight, so he couldn't kill it. He wouldn't even let me treat the wound. I'm worried, but he says I should focus on my studies. He says it's HIS job to be worried."
He places his hand ponderously upon his chin.
"He usually has adventurers working as contractors for him; collecting scrapings of magic artifacts. But given his recent state of mind, perhaps he does intend for you to fight the dragon."
You mention the scuffle in the pumpkin patch.
"Master Telivar only uses LYCAON magic on people he finds too troublesome to bargain with. If you're polite, you should be fine. You've already impressed him if he gave you an invitation to his study."
You ask how to reach the study.
"Well, the safe way is through the WINE CELLAR, but you won't be able to find the entrance without my help. Otherwise, there's the secret lift in the AVIARY, it leads right to his study."
What do you do?

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@SUCCESSOR
Reven, the rat palms his forehead with his paw a few times, shakes his head, and then begins speaking again. The slurs of alcohol are purged from his voice this time.
"True, I do facilitate the function of much of this mansion with various magical incantations and the brewery is among such manipulation. It is one of my key sources of revenue, outside selling my services to the odd bored noble. It is a spectacle if you care to observe such things; a perfect infusion of wizardry and science."
He shakes is head.
"In response to your other question, no, the woman is not familiar to me. Another poor soul plagued by greed, seeking her prize from my coffers. She will suffer the consequences as any other thief does; I have CURSED THE GOLD to punish those who take it unlawfully. I suspect this is why those other adventurers are here; I lost a sizable pile a few nights ago and this is likely the fallout of that curse. Rest assured, though, that though my mansion is a fortress to the malcontent it will welcome all who come with open arms. The adventure in which you are now ensnared is not here."
He takes a swig from the bottle on the counter.
"I had a brush with a dragon a few weeks ago. The thing has left me with more wounds than I care to admit. Worse, signs of its corruption have been burning their way into my magic. It has opened my eyes to a startling truth and I am terrified. If it is adventure you seek, then I would happily feed it down your blade to that wretched lizard's heart. But such matters are better discussed in person. My study can be found through the CELLAR; twist the spigot on the CASK that houses no wine and you will find the way forward."
What do you do?

[CJC]

(With my main computer out of order at the moment and with other things conflicting with the schedule, I had to postpone Tuesday's update to today. I am also going to refrain from giving SUCCESSOR's update until he has had a chance to respond, as he's had a rough week and I do not want to put any more on his plate).
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@TheDarkOne
Sancireph, you hear a GREAT EXPLOSION from somewhere above you. In fact, the shockwave of the blast disturbs your center of balance and you fall, landing on your back on the deck of the ship. It certainly looks real enough from this vantage.
Looking over the side, you see that the ship is moving not by the force of wind, but rather by a current in the gold. Perhaps the gold itself is an illusion, or it has been subjected to some manner of magic to make it FLOW LIKE WATER. This seems likely as the gold in the tavern was also enchanted and no doubt came from here. Still, you do not feel the aggression that plagued that wealth; either this is a different stash or there is some trigger that makes the gold 'attack'.
There's a door to the CAPTAIN'S CABIN as well as two leading down into the depths of the ship.
What do you do?

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@bigjoe
Jerias, you surrender to the WILL OF THE FLAME and spew an inferno upon the fowl workforce. They scatter, their feathers scattering as they are swallowed by the fury of combustion. These flutter gently onto the machinery of the brewery, burning through essential components and then, finally, upon contact with the brew, exploding like rockets and tearing the room to pieces. You survive the blast by taking shelter beyond the door in a HALL OF MIRRORS. When you look again, the brewery is nothing more than a smoking crater leading down into the caves below. Is this what the fire wanted? You hear a voice in the back of your head:
"Yes, yes, drive the spike of fire into the heart of the fortress and tear forth the sweet nectar of gold contained within."
What is this VOICE? It seems familiar but at the same time foreign, as if it is an alien entity forcing its way into your mind.
What do you do?

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@mrz84
Zataka, as you descend into the cellar the ground shakes as a GREAT EXPLOSION sets the building quaking. Several stones fall from the ceiling but you are able to avoid them. The lady burglar from before, however, was not. You find her unconscious in front of a great CASK OF WINE; it appear during the aftershock a stone came loose and struck her on the head.
There are an incredible number of wine casks here, and the one she's collapsed in front would appear to be nothing special save the fact that she was investigating it before she was knocked out cold. You can see ahead of you a series of JAIL CELLS, abandoned and in terrible disrepair, with one even missing its door. There is a hall of them stretching in either direction.
What do you do?

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@Xyvol
Malichor, Toma tells you there is a WINE CASK that isn't a cask at all. It's along the SOUTH WALL and if you try to tap it you will find that it is empty. Instead, turn the spigot like a handle and the front of the cask will open, revealing a STAIRWELL leading down to the Master's Study. There is one more hazard, however: The Master's gold is enchanted with TOON magic; it flows like water and nobody but a CRAZY DUCK could possibly swim across it (everyone else sinks). He tells you to be sure to use one of the SHORE BOATS that should be docked at the gold's edge and NOT TO LEAVE THE BOAT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Toma thanks you for your interest and modestly states that he'll need more evidence before he can defend it to the panel.
As you step back into the lobby, you hear a TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION from the door on your RIGHT. The entire mansion shakes, and you are forced to dive to safety when one of the chandeliers falls from the ceiling. Toma bursts out of the library, panicked, and then departs through the door on the right, looking for the source of the blast.
What do you do?