I make a brief introduction to the others, and agree to work with the paladin until we get out of this situation. I take a rather forceful tone, letting it be known that I am only going along with them due to circumstance. I then offer the suggestion that I should scout ahead, at a distance. This would be the best way for me to overcome my instincts. The farther away I am the less likely I am to turn out of hunger.
[RPG] Sword and Sorcery Play-by-Post
I agree to help Zataka and his allies. Though I fear being part of a group may make me more of a target. I speak about how I am familiar with the Hall of Mirrors' layout and can bring us through it but warn that I sense a many hostile presence. I pull out my dart gun worried the toxin will have no effect on dragon-kind. I ask Jerias if dragons hold sway over his mind and if he will be a danger to us. I pull my cloak full on with the black outward. There is little to worry about if I am recognized from the Lobby I need to be as unseen as possible. I sense bigger concerns that are telling me to flee from the room we must now enter.
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
(Please put ACT MEDIAS RES replies in a separate post from your regular response next time. Though it was clear what you meant in this context, if a later gap goes unfilled for several updates I will get confused by your format)
Zataka, you attempt to rally the others trapped in your endeavor, but each seems distracted in their own thoughts. You wonder if they had conversations with the wizard as you did and you ponder what they might have discussed. MALICHOR peeks out the cabin door into the hall of mirrors, tossing a paperweight from the desk into the opening. Indeed it appears to be reality, at least as much as reality can be defined in your current predicament.
You pause to recall your conversation with the hedge wizard.
[INDENT]~~~~~
Conversation with Telivar
"Ah. This is something I only recently came to realize from my tussle with the thing, and something to which you can relate. You know how our rules are restricting your abilities in this reality? Well, our rules are actually breaking the rules. This dimension isn't SUPPOSED to have magic, so wizards achieve magical effect by snatching physical laws from other reality. Unfortunately, each time we do so we're pulling our existence closer to overlap with that other reality. It's a dragon dimension and the DRAGONS are entities that have ripped their way through the membrane between our worlds. The only way to fix that hole and undo the damage they've inflicted is to kill them."
You ask if there is anything Telivar knows that might help with combating the dragon.
"If I did, don't you think I would have tried it?!"
He shakes his head.
"I'm sorry, this whole situation has me terrified. I can't really say what a dragon would be vulnerable to; I've never been able to examine a Dragoon's artifacts to see HOW they harm the beast. All I can say is this; just as you are subject to our reality's laws while you are here, so are they. Perhaps there is weakness there."
He places his hands over his eyes.
"I can't get the image out of my head. He's coming to get me, I know it. He's going to turn me into one of those things. Maybe if you could-"
As Telivar starts to respond to your last question the both of you hear a ROAR. Looking up, you see the ceiling of the study RIPPED OPEN as a gigantic DRAGON tears it off of the ship. Above you is not the room you were in before, but a terrible tempest of wind and electricity. Telivar shouts, flailing his arms wildly in the air briefly before disappearing without a trace. The dragon disappears with him but the twisted sky does not.
~~~~~[/INDENT]
You steel your nerves and raise your sword, bravely preparing to step into the HALL OF MIRRORS. The LIZARD stops you.
He says, forcefully:
"Very well. We will work together to escape this place. And ONLY to escape this place. I am JERIAS."
The RANGER also introduces himself as REVEN and agrees to assist as he knows the layout of this hall in particular.
Jerias enters the hall first, staring at the mirrors in a concerned and inquisitive manner. He moves quickly, frequently dropping to all fours and sniffing the air. This thing used to be a man? It's hard to picture. After a short distance you lose sight of him; it appears he has turned a corner. Concerned, you enter the hall to track him.
Infinite refraction dizzies your senses. You can't tell if the hall is straight or not. Still, you press on. You feel an unnerving sense of dread sweeping over you. Then, without warning, one of your reflections steps OUT of the mirror and swings his massive sword in an arc at you.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, you open the door to the AVIARY fully expecting them to lead to somewhere they shouldn't, and indeed you are correct. They instead open up to the ORCHARD you passed through earlier, but something is very wrong. The SKY is on FIRE and the trees are all fully-bloomed WRAITHWOOD, with the various dendritic limbs sporting HUMAN FINGERS. Toma turns away and loses the contents of his stomach.
"I've never seen a fully grown one before... that's... that's horrible."
He pauses.
"Wait, you were talking about Wraithwood trees and now the orchard is full of them. ...I think I know where we are."
He shakes his head, as if he himself cannot believe what he is about to say.
"Master TELIVAR has been going on about this place for weeks: the INTERSPACE. It's like a fold between dimensions. I thought he was just rambling; I thought it was just a complication of the DRAGON CORRUPTION. This place is real?"
He looks at the trees again.
"Your thoughts created this ORCHARD. We're in a fold of reality that is perilously close to our collective subconscious and if we're not careful our WORST NIGHTMARES will come to life before our very eyes. What do we do?"
The young wizard apprentice seems quite distressed by the situation and you can't honestly say you're pleased about it. Still, there doesn't appear to be any imminent danger in the WRAITHWOOD ORCHARD and you've noticed that this reality seems to respect DOORS even if it doesn't respect the spatial connections between them.
What will you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, you briefly review your conversation with TELIVAR before his disappearance.
[INDENT]~~~~~
Conversation with Telivar
"That's a MAGIC ARTIFACT that I made. Part of a set, actually. It lets me pass small things back and forth to my subcontractors. I have a business proposition for you: throughout the world there are other magical artifacts just like this, made by other magisters or lost in forgotten ruins. If you come across such a magical structure in your travels, take a scraping and send it through the bag to me. I'm collecting data on the fabric of magic around the world and these samples are crucial. I'll make it worth your while; if gold isn't your thing I can at least pay you in RARE SPIRITS."
You take the bag and place it into your cloak pocket. Strange, you seem to be acclimating to the strange sensation in the air. It's rather like being drunk, actually.
You display your cloak, dagger, and darts to Telivar and explain that you have a collection of magic items, but not ones you would part with.
"Oh, I don't actually need the items themselves. I only want to examine the trace magical energies that circle them. No more than a surface scraping would be required."
He seems worried about your direct contact with a dragon.
"How is it you are able to interact with one of those beasts without corruption? Unless... perhaps it isn't the same species as the ones that have been plaguing me. It could even be native to our reality, or one with which we have a less hostile exchange."
Telivar isn't making a lot of sense; he seems distracted by something else.
"Benign dragons... if only I could... well, anyway, what was you other question?"
You ask if the bag he gave you could be used for communication.
As Telivar starts to respond to your last question the both of you hear a ROAR. Looking up, you see the ceiling of the study RIPPED OPEN as a gigantic DRAGON tears it off of the ship. Above you is not the room you were in before, but a terrible tempest of wind and electricity. Telivar shouts, flailing his arms wildly in the air briefly before disappearing without a trace. The dragon disappears with him but the twisted sky does not.
~~~~~[/INDENT]
Without an answer you decide it would be best to try it anyway. What harm could it do? Grabbing a scrap of paper you write a simple message: "Where are you" and slip it through the bag.
While awaiting a reply you note that the MAGICIAN is staring through the cabin door to the HALL OF MIRRORS, which you recognize from your earlier experience in the mansion. Odd, it is illuminated now, with little flames at the base of each mirror. The LIZARD briefly mutters that he will help, and enters the hall first to explore (This frustrates you because you already know the way through). He quickly disappears in the maze of reflections. The PALADIN passes through the door next, great sword drawn, and after a few paces he is assaulted by his own reflection. THAT'S definitely new. You peek through the doorway; the hall appears to have the same floor plan it did before. Judging on your position you estimate you're looking at it from the AVIARY entrance, the one you used last time. Could the same trick work as before, with reflections assaulting their likeness?
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you note that the only afflicted pages are those that ALREADY HAD MAGIC upon them when you entered this place. The rest of your paper appears to be unharmed. Following what TOMA explained you craft a dragon talisman to protect you from their touch and indeed it scares the little lizard off of your remaining shuriken. Turning your attention to the HALL OF MIRRORS you set out to prove that the place is real. Recalling your conversation with Telivar...
[INDENT]~~~~~
Further Discussion with Telivar
"See, they've decided they want to absorb our reality and they have the power to do it. That's why more and more dragons have been appearing in the wilds; they're coming through to drag us back with them."
You ask about Toma's Thesis, believing that he was describing overlapping different disciplines to make more powerful magic.
"No, something like that is much more conventional and would be welcomed by the Magister community. Toma's research was controversial; he was trying to show that the trappings of magic were unnecessary and that magic itself is a SINGULAR FORCE that has been disguised as many."
You ask if Toma's research is what weakened the bounds between reality.
"No, if anything Toma has uncovered an ancient truth that was buried. This damage has been a result of magic since the first Magisters manipulated the ether around them; it is as old as the dragons that plague our lands. We've ALL been tearing holes in reality without even realizing our error."
You ask about Darkspace's role in these tears.
"Darkspace seems to be more prominent than other fields of magical ritual because of its relation to space, but in truth it is simply a ritual placed onto the underlying concept. In actuality I used a PHANTOM spell to bring us here, as I have been trained in the traditional style and that was the method that seemed most practical to reach this place. But I could have achieved the same result with any ritual or more importantly with NONE AT ALL. The effect is the same; I steal physics from another dimension and apply it to ours. This is the crime all wizards have been committing since the invention of magic."
You ask about the dragons pulling back, and if they have found their way into reality.
"We commit magic by stealing physics. Isn't it reasonable to assume entities in other dimensions do as well? Clearly our world has something they want. My guess would be-"
As Telivar starts to respond to your last question the both of you hear a ROAR. Looking up, you see the ceiling of the study RIPPED OPEN as a gigantic DRAGON tears it off of the ship. Above you is not the room you were in before, but a terrible tempest of wind and electricity. Telivar shouts, flailing his arms wildly in the air briefly before disappearing without a trace. The dragon disappears with him but the twisted sky does not.
~~~~~[/INDENT]
You toss a paperweight from the desk into the HALL OF MIRRORS. It lands as expected; at least this place is not an illusion. That LIZARD introduces himself to the PALADIN as JERIAS and says he will help until you escape and no further. He enters the hall and disappears around a corner. ZATAKA follows, sword drawn. After a few steps, you see that he is behaving as if he is under attack, but there is NOTHING THERE.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, you are annoyed that the PALADIN is proposing an alliance, but you begrudgingly accept for the purpose of ESCAPING THIS PLACE. You make it absolutely clear that you will only work with them until YOU ARE SAFE. You look into the hall of mirrors. You SHATTERED all of these mirrors, yet here they sit undamaged. You leap into the hall in a sprint, looking for anything peculiar about the place. Turning a corner you find and throw open a door. Beyond is the LIBRARY you found that apprentice in earlier. It's ON FIRE. Turning back you hear the PALADIN struggling, as if he is locked in combat with something. You can't see him from here, though, because the reflections are all of you. Blinking, you notice that one of them is SMILING AT YOU.
What do you do?
*Sorry, I forgot the tag. I'll remember it next time*
I raise my greatsword to block the attack. I keep a defensive stance while I test its abilities. Should I find an opening or detail I can take advantage of, I will strike. I try to take note of which mirror the reflection came out of, as I have a hunch that it may or may not be important. Should I feel the need to, I will not hesitate to enchant my weapon with fire or an element that could be of use on my opponent.
~~~Clarification: I never meant to imply that the cloak was in anyway magical. It was meant to be an ordinary old cloak that's only special property was it was reversible. Though, I suppose it could have acquired some magic. Also, Reven would not have displayed the Kris for Telivar to observe. He keeps it on his back where the cloak would always cover it specifically because he doesn't want it seen. He turned away from Telivar when he mentioned magical artifact as a subconscious act of keeping the item hidden.
I first wonder why the room holds dangers. It should be Telivars magic in there and why should it see us as unwelcome now? Is the dragon manipulating him? I follow my think last-fight first comrades into the room of mirrors. I head for the door i departed the room from earlier that once led to the Tavern. No matter what has changed in the room visibly I can get there easily by memory. I stay as far from all mirrors as possible. Whatever is attacking us is magical and must originate from the respective mirrors. Instead of trying to fight the magical beings I try to shoot the mirror with a dart which should be sturdy enough and move fast enough to (at least slightly) crack glass and test my hypothesis. A few darts in the beings in emergency or to help my companions wouldn't hurt. Mostly I try to get myself and guide them out of the room as quickly as possible. Should the Tavern exit be unreachable (or lead somewhere unwelcoming) I will take the door in one of the other corners that I did not explore earlier.
I quickly close the door and consider Toma's words. If what he says is true, then it seems I could get to where I want to be by simply focusing my thoughts. Finding my companions from earlier is my main concern for now, so I bring the images of Zataka and Malichor into my mind, and, leaving Toma to his own devices, I open the door again to see if what is beyond has changed.
I surmise that Zataka is seeing some sort of Illusion or magical effect inside the room, but my talisman helps me see the truth. I quickly fold another piece of paper into a talisman, then rush to Zataka's side and offer it to him. I say "What you're seeing is only an illusion. Take this talisman, if I am right it should protect you from the corruption of the dragons." I suggest we continue on together.
I ignore the reflections and try to get back to Zataka to warn that the direction I took lies in flames. I have noted that there is something more going on here than simple reflections from mirrors so I avoid making eye contact with any of the mirrors, lest I be ensnared by some sort of magical trap.
Zatoppleganger volley (2 Left)
Zataka and his reflection are standing toe to toe with locked blades. Reven, attempting to cancel out the double, fires a dart at one of the mirrors hoping that shattering it will shatter the doppleganger. Unfortunately the action backfires: as the dart makes contact with the mirror it passes THROUGH it, refracting and raining dart copies all over the room in a hailstorm of pointy poisoned danger.
Malichor folds a PAPER DRAGON OF PROTECTION and tries to bring it to Zataka, but is interrupted by the hail of darts. He drops the talisman and it flutters in front of Zataka, failing to make contact. But unbeknownst to Malichor the talisman has touched the DOPPLEGANGER and caused its arm to shrivel and fall off.
Zataka, protecting himself from the darts, tries to cast a LIGHTNING ENCHANTMENT on his blade, but as he does so the doppleganger panics and tackles him through one of the mirrors. The two vanish, appearing somewhere else in the HALL OF MIRRORS. Following their disappearance a horse-sized DRAGON coated in electricity forms out of the air where Zataka was chanting, briefly examines the scene, and then shatters several of the mirrors before spotting the talisman on the ground and fleeing by ripping a hole in the wall.
Jerias, running to warn about the Library being on fire, turns the corner just in time for the HAIL OF DARTS. Ducking down and crawling along the ground he makes his way to Malichor and passes on the information.
Reven takes refuge in the door that SHOULD lead to the Tavern, but as he opens it he falls forward and crashes into one of the OUBLIETTES, with the door he came through on the ceiling. An ogre walks past, apparently making rounds, and the CROSSBOW BURGLAR from before whispers from the next cell "Hey, can I borrow a lockpick?".
Toma volley (1 Left)
Sancireph tries to manipulate the fabric of this INTERSPACE by shutting and opening the doors again, but he finds they still lead to the DARK ORCHARD. Apparently once a door has been assigned, it cannot lead to another place. Is it a sign the dimension is becoming stable? Realizing this, he goes to another door in the lobby; the door on the second floor leading to the AVIARY, and opens it thinking of Zataka and Malichor. Beyond lies the HALL OF MIRRORS, but Sancireph is immediately startled by Zataka and a ONE ARMED COPY falling out of one of the mirrors in a scuffle and a HAIL OF DARTS flying to and from each of the mirrors.
This is a VOLLEY. It's not a update but rather a means of supplying more setting information so that players can continue to respond amongst each other. I will never volley until everyone has posted at least once and if players are interacting with each other I will avoid it. Volleys are significantly faster to write because I don't have to supply action prompts, so I will probably be able to do something like this once or twice during the week to help span the gap between actual updates.ALL NPCs share the same volley pool, meaning there will be at most three of my volleys between updates (though usually there will not even be one)
The situation is becoming too dangerous to handle. As I continue to defend myself from both my now one-armed copy and a hail of darts from the mirrors, I try to find an exit. The hall of mirrors is confusing though, and I try to find the quickest way to safety while trying to keep my allies alive as well.
I crouch low to avoid the hail of darts, drawing my blades and rushing to Zataka's aid. "We can discuss what has happened since we separated later," I say as I join the battle, bringing my blades across in a scissor-slash at his double.
Any thought of helping the other adventurers goes out of my head when I hear that the library is on fire. "No, we need Toma's research!" Panicked, I crawl forward in the direction Jerias came, hoping that the flames have not yet consumed the room. I am also concerned for Toma's safety, as I am unsure where he went after we parted ways.
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION] [MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Zataka and Sancireph, the doppleganger is sliced in half as Sancireph scissors it with his blades. It doesn't seem to have any internal organs to speak of; rather it appears to be made of twisted up pieces of rope. Though it's still moving around it can no longer inflict any harm as it cannot wield its weapon anymore. Sancireph glances at the mirrors. His reflection glances back menacingly and starts to step out of the reflection, swords drawn.
Zataka finds a door and throws it open. Beyond it is some sort of HEDGE MAZE, with an ANGEL FOUNTAIN immediately before you out the doorway.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, you get up off the oubliette floor and dust yourself off. A slip of paper falls from your cloak as you do so, it seems it got caught in a pocket after it was ejected from TELIVAR'S BAG. You read it.
"Shh! He'll find me if you keep sending messages!"
The page smells faintly of smoke, as if it was being stored somewhere near a fire.
You can see the WINE CELLAR from the oubliette. The door back to the hall of mirrors is still hanging open above you. It appears the PATROL OGRE has gone, at least for now.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you make haste to the Library and indeed it is wreathed in flames. You're on the third floor. Toma's research is still on the desk on the ground floor, but the STAIRS are ON FIRE. You can also see that the FLOOR has been weakened by the flames.
The bookshelves are sheets of inferno, sapping your strength with their radiant heat and the toxic smoke that they belch. Tiny embers scatter as individual books crack and burn, threatening your paper supply and the anti-magic talisman you have crafted. Behind one of the bookshelves you can see a glimpse to some SECRET STAIRWELL. It could lead down to the first floor or it might go somewhere else.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, upon telling the MAGICIAN about the burning library he immediately dashes in that direction. Something about protecting the books. You keep low to the floor, evading the HAIL OF DARTS. You are aware the mirrors are enchanted with some sort of aggressive magic, and you surmise that magic is connected to matching gaze with your reflection. Odd, your thoughts are becoming more coherent. You feel... liberated since the dragon on your back departed. You always thought you were protecting it, but was it driving you like Telivar suggested?
You close your eyes and crawl along the floor, running one claw along the wall so that you can navigate the room. After a short distance you believe you have escaped and so you open them. You are in a GARDEN. There's a collection of GRAVES immediately in front of you, each labelled only with a date. You feel safe here, almost as if you want to go to sleep. The flowers are hypnotically swaying left and right, almost cradling you as they dance.
What do you do?
I quickly take a swipe with my katana at the doppleganger's neck, decapitating it before it can brings its weapons to bear. I turn and follow Zataka, heading for the hedge maze and fountain I can see outside. At this point, I no longer care whether or not Toma follows me. I am, however, concerned for Malichor's safety, but I feel that we need to remove ourselves from the more immediate danger, then come up with a plan.
I enter the door hoping Sancireph will follow quickly and that the doppelganger can't exit the Mirror Hall. I examine the fountain and the immediate area with great caution, while explaining to my companion what has happened since we last met. I keep my greatsword drawn in case of an danger.
The fire is obviously way worse than I had hoped. Instead of risking my life and magic trying to make it through the inferno, I decide to investigate the secret stairway that has been revealed. Even if it does not lead to the ground floor, it may be an escape route that Toma used. I gather my cloak around me and pull the hood up tight. With a running start, I leap trough the flames of the burning bookcase (I assume that's how the passage was revealed) and hit the floor/stairs rolling to smother any flames that may have caught. Once I come to a stop, I look around to see where I'm at.
As lulled as I am by my surroundings, I keep my wits about me. I investigate the graves further, to see what the dates are. If there is nothing surprising about the dates on the graves, I continue onward, fighting the desire to fall asleep in this seemingly cozy place.
I shoot a dart into the cell with the woman. I am not accustom to helping free criminals but I don't want this place going to hell with her locked in it. She should be able to use the dragonscale tip to pick the lock. It is the best I have. I do my best to try to reach the door I just came through to not leave my allies in a hailstorm of darts I created. Nor do I have any idea where the wine cellar might take me. I try to be very quiet as to not bring back the ogre. I look over the paper that Telivar sent to me for any clues to his whereabouts.
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION]
Sancireph, you quickly decapitate your doppleganger as it emerges from the mirror and then you retreat through the opening to the HEDGE MAZE. Zataka follows you and you shut the door so that your attackers cannot pursue. You briefly consider waiting for TOMA but come to think of it he didn't actually follow you INTO the hall of Mirrors, it seems he stayed in the lobby when you left. Zataka tells you that he, Malichor, that RANGER from the lobby, and a lizardfolk DRAGOON were talking to Telivar when a dragon ripped off the ceiling and the wizard fled. The doors have been scrambled ever since (but you knew that from earlier). You explain that this dimension seems to tap into your thoughts and by opening a door you can go to any room in the mansion as long as you're thinking about the right thing. You also warn that this makes NIGHTMARES BECOME REAL. Strangely, Zataka says he's seen this sort of thing before.
Looking at the ANGEL in the fountain, you see that it is holding a RED PEARL like the statues in the AVIARY did. But Zataka has already informed you that your host is not in his study on the ship. So if you were to trigger a trapdoor in the same manner, where would you want to go?
Alternatively, the hedge maze appears stable enough. There doesn't appear to be anything particularly perilous about this place, except the tempest in the sky, but there also aren't any apparent doors to use to reach another portion of the mansion.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Zataka, you escape the hall of mirrors with Sancireph and tell him what happened with the lord of the mansion Telivar. Sancireph explains that he was in the lobby with the APPRENTICE when this weirdness began. The doors are scrambled and rather than leading to their spatial relations they lead to whatever is on the mind of the person who opens them. That is, until they've been opened, and then the destination becomes locked. You mention you've seen this sort of thing before; the dimension must be unstable and attempting to lithify into a concrete reality. Sancireph warns that your worst nightmares could come to life if you aren't careful.
The ANGEL in the fountain is holding up a RED PEARL. Alternatively, the hedge maze has paths in all directions except for the door leading back to the HALL OF MIRRORS. Looking at the door now that it has been closed, it appears identical to a LATTICE ARCH that is propped against the hedge wall of the maze. This place seems peaceful enough except for the tempest in the sky. But you worry about being out in the open like this, especially considering the way the dragon attacked in the cabin.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you gather your cloak around you and dive through the burning bookcase, one shoulder forward to smash the weakened wood obstructing you. Landing in the staircase you find yourself unharmed, but the flames have consumed your ANTI MAGIC TALISMAN. Descending one flight of stairs you come to a heavy door and throw it open. You look around. Strange, you would have thought this would be a secret section of the library, but upon thinking of TOMA you instead find yourself in a COAL MINE. Workers toil away at the walls with picks, loading their finds into a cart that is immediately in front of you. You do not recognize any of these people, but you do notice that several of them are suffering the effects of PETRIFICATION, either on their face or on one of their limbs. Some of them even have their pick arms completely turned to stone, rendering them unable to drop their tools.
What is this? You don't really see any traces of Toma but this mine looks expansive. The people are real enough but as far as you can tell they were not in the mansion before Telivar's panic attack.
There are paths leading forward, slightly left, and slightly right. The door behind you looks like it SHOULD have lead to the office. You fret about the fire spreading to this place because coal is so flammable, but the secret stairs were made of stone so it might not be a problem. Also, you can't feel the heat of the flames in this place.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, you shake off the comforting lull of this graveyard, convinced it is yet another trap of the mention designed to destroy you. You approach the graves. None have names listed. Instead, each bears only a date. One of the graves is fresh. You dig it out with your spear. The DRAGOON enchantment makes it easy to do so, as the tip makes contact it creates a pocket of darkspace which you direct to fling the dirt aside. Within the grave is the body of TELIVAR, but something is off. He looks too desiccated for a freshly deceased man. You were just speaking to him, he can't have decayed this quickly. You check another grave. There is another body; it too is the wizard Telivar but the corpse is much more decomposed. Are they descendants? No, each is in possession of identical features. Telivar has learned a method of producing clones.
If he has such power, perhaps he might be able to extract the human portion of you and create a copy. Maybe he could split you on your Jekyll/Hyde axis and make you two whole beings; the valiant dragoon and the vicious lizard. You dig up another grave. Strange, this one doesn't have a body in it. Instead, it has only a trap door.
Your mind swirls with thoughts of the wizard, your former life, and your current predicament.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, you snicker at the misfortune of that crossbow burglar but you decide to help her. You shoot a dart into the wall next to her and whisper "That's the best I can do, good luck". You make a few quick jumps towards the door above you, but you just can't reach it and you fret that you'll generate too much noise if you keep trying. With the ogre sentry out of the way and the path back to the HALL OF MIRRORS unreachable, you decide to pick the lock and try your luck with the cask that's actually a door. As you open it you come upon the TAVERN you shared a game with TELIVAR in earlier. You're on the ground floor. But something's odd. There's a legitimate party in here. In fact, it's standing room only. People seem to be having a grand old time drinking and dancing and brawling but you're certain none of these people were in the mansion when you arrived here. Where did they come from? They're certainly tangible enough as you brush by them, helping yourself to one of their wallets as you do a bump-and-grab. The thing is full of paper with odd printed portraits. Where's the gold? Wait... this paper matches the paper Telivar's return note was printed on! Could he be nearby?
The bartender on this floor looks pretty busy. If you're looking for a drink, you might want to try your luck on the SECOND FLOOR. You also can't reach the door that SHOULD go to the winery without making a commotion, but you know there are at least two exits on the second floor.
What do you do?
I briefly consider the angel statue, but decide against checking for a trap door there as a do not want to enter the mansion again. My natural sense of direction might get us through the hedge maze under ordinary circumstances, but the dimensional anomalies may not be confined to just the mansion itself and it is best not to assume anything yet. I consider the lattice arch an odd feature and mention it to Zataka, suggesting that we take a closer look.
I examine our surroundings a little more thoroughly, in particular the lattice arch. I also believe that we should get our bearings in relation to the maze's exits/entrances. I suggest either I boost Sancireph up to the nearest stable ledge above the hedge maze walls, or we find another method of traversing the maze, all the while staying on guard for any threats, such as the dragon. If we find anything of interest I will suggest examining it with caution.
I try to reason out my confusion. Why would Toma be here? How did I arrive here, the two locations seem disconnected. Was thinking of Toma what brought me here? I turn to the door behind me that I entered from. Reluctantly I reach out to the door, realizing I may be about to destroy the only way I know of getting back to where I was, but I need to know if I'm right. With a sigh, I close the door, then open it again expecting to see the coal mine's office.
I see if I can break a piece off of the more decayed Telivar. I might need it for some scientific reason I'm not yet aware of. I then turn my attention to the trap door.
[MENTION=60919]TheDarkOne[/MENTION] [MENTION=38704]mrz84[/MENTION]
Sancireph and Zataka, of note you see that the lattice arches in the hedge maze appear to be hinged. In fact, it looks like they're designed to move floating sections of the hedge to rearrange the maze. It's a defensive measure to keep someone from solving the maze by running their hand along one wall. Odd, you would suspect that the maze would employ magic like the PUMPKIN PATCH but it appears completely mundane in its construction. At least it would if everything around here wasn't scrambled.
Zataka boosts Sancireph up on one of the hedges. All you can see beyond the maze is a vortex; it is as if it is an island hovering over some terrible abyss. There are also PEOPLE wandering the maze grounds. They don't look like your companions and you know you didn't see them when you were on the grounds earlier.
[Act Medias Res]
Seeking the lost within the maze (Filled)
[indent]~~~~~
Creative Gardening
~~~~~[/indent]
[/Act Medias Res]
Sancireph mentions that the lattice arches are kind of like doors and you might be able to open a connection to another part of the grounds or back into the mansion if you think about the right things. The air here is starting to make you itch.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38796]Xyvol[/MENTION]
Malichor, you expect the door to change its destination after closing it, but to your relief it still leads to the BURNING LIBRARY. It seems that though this paradimension is scrambled it is attempting to stabilize into a concrete reality; once a door connects to a location the two spaces are joined by the opening, meaning that door will always connect those to spaces. To that end you realize the best way to navigate this place is to find doors and open them so that the dimension stabilized. But you fret when you come to this realization; if the dimension is trying to stabilize and it's full of dragons, what impact are you actions having on other realities (particularly the one you wish to return to)?
[Act Medias Res]
Conversation with the Miners (Filled)
[indent]~~~~~
The Placebo Effect
~~~~~[/indent]
[/Act Medias Res]
You see Toma approach. He sees that the door has been opened, curses, and then runs down the tunnel to the right before you can talk to him. Could thinking about Toma as you opened the door have brought you to this place? It does seem rather coincidental that he's here.
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=39056]bigjoe[/MENTION]
Jerias, you pry the corpse's radius off his desiccated arm and tuck it into your supplies to present to him later. Then, you go to the trap door and throw it open, thinking it might lead to Telivar. However, as you put the bone away your mind drifted to the egg that once rested on your back, and you feel the thought rip through the world around you as you throw open the trap door. Below you is the great fall to the SEA OF GOLD that you made earlier. You can see your CHARGE swimming in the wealth below but he looks frustrated. You are unsure if you want to go to him; on the one hand you feel a need to protect him but on the other you are wary to let his clawing manipulation crawl back into your mind.
Looking up to the sky, you see the GREAT WYRM from earlier fly across the tempest above you. It doesn't seem to spot you. As it flies by, you notice something significant: it has almost a translucent hue to it, as if it isn't really there. You should also be able to feel its mind as it passes you, but there is nothing. What the heck IS that thing? Is it even a dragon?
What do you do?
=====
[MENTION=38528]SUCCESSOR[/MENTION]
Reven, never one to pass on a party, you head up to the second floor, get a drink, and join a game of BILLIARDS.
[Act Medias Res]
Chat with the patrons
[indent]~~~~~
~~~~~[/indent]
[/Act Medias Res]
You make your way up to the third floor, which should have rental rooms considering the design of the tavern. You can hear the fluttering of a dervish behind one of the doors, as if there is a pile of paper caught in a breeze.
What do you do?
[Act Medias Res]
Seeking the lost within the maze
I am hesitant to leave potentially innocent people in the maze, but they could very well be hostile as well. I mention this to my ally and then discus what he believes the best course of action would be, as I am at a loss of what to do with so many variables to consider on my own. One one hand, we can attempt to rescue the others in the maze with us. But on the other they could be hostile and a confrontation could prove unwise. Then there is the factor of the lattice. If it does function as a door, where would we want to use it to get to? If we do decide to rescue the others in the maze, I could use my greatsword to hack through the walls.
I consider Zataka's idea, but I don't think it would be wise to try hacking through the maze--the wizard likely has magical safeguards in place to prevent that. Using the lattices as doors could prove useful in finding Malichor or even the the ranger Zataka mentioned. As for the other people in the maze, it seems to me they are trapped here just as we are. I suggest that if we should cross paths with them, we will share what we know about the maze and the dimensional doors, so that they may find their respective ways back. I focus my thoughts on Malichor and open the nearest lattice door.
[Act Medias Res]
Conversation with the Miners
After my investigation of the doorway, I turn my attention to the miners. I approach one who has petrification on his arm, but none around the mouth. Taking my paper stash, I motion for the miner to hold his arm up to me as I begin tearing the paper into strips. I wrap the strips of paper around the petrified arm like a bandage. Habitually I go to scribe a rune on the paper, but catch myself. By using magic here, am I possibly corrupting this man even further? Am I tearing more holes in the world every time I apply my craft? I remember the little dragons crawling around my shirukens, and imagine them crawling over the man's arms. Instead, I decide to try the placebo trick. After all, it did work with my talisman. I tell the man to leave the bandages on, and over time their magic will help to reverse the petrification effect. I ask him why they are mining here and who they are working for. I ask about what is causing the petrification. Lastly, I ask if he has seen a scholarly young man in glasses in these mines.
[/Act Medias Res]
(whew, I am thankful for the Act Medias Res in this round, as I wanted to post more last round but didn't get a chance to come back and post again. BTW, if we are allowed to post three times between updates, is double-posting allowed then?)
Xyvol wrote:(whew, I am thankful for the Act Medias Res in this round, as I wanted to post more last round but didn't get a chance to come back and post again. BTW, if we are allowed to post three times between updates, is double-posting allowed then?)
(Yes, I use the might of my Orange usergroup to declare that double-posting is okay in this thread. ^_^)
Xyvol wrote:... is double-posting allowed then?)
CJC wrote:(Yes, I use the might of my Orange usergroup to declare that double-posting is okay in this thread. ^_^)
There is no rule against multiple posts in any forum.
I try the door to see if it is locked and try to enter the room unheard or seen. I keep my dart gun at the ready.