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Post by haybalebarn on Jan 14, 2016 4:54:09 GMT
A flash of light. The feel of restraints. A heavy metal collar around your neck. Words, floating on a screen piercing through your confusion. A sharp prick on your neck. And then darkness, once more. These are the last memories that hang in your mind.
Slowly, the light begins to return. As you look around, stone surrounds you on all sides. Torches rest on the walls, their flickering light adding to the dark ambiance of the room. In the center of the room is a single computer monitor on a stand, looking completely out of place in the surroundings. On one side of the room, a giant stone door stands sealed shut. For a moment, you're all left staring at each other in awkward silence, and then the monitor flickers on, bathing the small room in its blue light. "Why don't you all introduce yourselves? After all, you'll need to work together if you want to live."
Brinn, Kotone, Anthony, and Sara, your journey begins here.
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Post by Revimpx on Jan 14, 2016 5:20:57 GMT
Sara stares at the monitor, glancing around the room once more, something was odd, last she remembered she was walking into her own room at the exploration society base, now she lay in a barren dungeon. She groggily lifts herself up with her paws... Wait a minute, what happened to get paws, they were barren of fur and contained an additional digit, she held her arms out and examined them, clothes covered her in place of fur... All of it was gone, save for the fur on her head, could she call it fur, she didn't know. Her mind raced, what are these creatures around her, where was she, so many unanswered questions.
Sara would speak up in a soft voice, unsure how everyone else would react, "where an I, Gharr? Teri? I'm so confused..." She glances around the room, hoping to find some sort of clue to her whereabouts, she can find nothing though, it's okay, she thinks to herself, it's just like a mystery dungeon, we must got to work our way out of here, we just have to figure out how. Following instructions is a start. "I'm... Sara" she says nervously. Perhaps this was a bad joke or a puzzle for initiation, who knows. "Please help me get out of here" she says, terrified.
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jan 14, 2016 5:49:11 GMT
The first thing Kotone notices is the weight around her neck. She immediately begins clawing at the collar, trying to get it off. Kotone doesn't like being caged.
Once she notices the monitor, she rounds on it and begins cursing at it, rather creatively, as if she thinks it - or someone on the other end of it - can hear her. It's not practiced cursing; the language is good but it's clumsily constructed. She accuses the monitor of being connected to something called "Hive Co" and "AceLife". She doesn't calm down until Sara speaks up... and even then it's not "calming down" so much as cutting herself off when she realizes there's someone that sounds vaguely like a kid in the room.
And possibly also that she's ruining the meek image she sort of tries to project most of the time. Though she never does very well at that anyway.
At least stopping gets her to slow down and look around at where she is... A stone dungeon? Somebody went very retro. She goes over to check on the short teenager with the odd hair. Well, not that odd, you saw all sorts of colors these days - even if most of them are genetically altered. "I don't know where we are. But don't tell them anything."
It may or may not be obvious that them is referring to the monitor.
Quietly, she adds, "I'm Kotone. Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."
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Post by Revimpx on Jan 14, 2016 6:14:25 GMT
Sara jumps back as the lady approaches, not sure of her intent, due to her yelling. "Who are they?" She asks quietly, "what am I..." Clearly frightened by the fit Kotone pulled, in combination with the situation, she looks to the other prisoners in hope they will speak up, she only hoped this was merely a test. She dug into her mind to try and conjure get psychic powers but could not do anything that would aid her here, she truly had to rely on others like the odd machine said "help" she said on the verge of tears
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jan 14, 2016 11:01:28 GMT
Freaking hell, my head hurts. How much did I drink last night? Wait ... no, that's not it. It's ... Fricking hell! Goddammit, I remember. "Don't disappoint me." And ... I bring my hands to my neck, and yeah ... a shock collar. Lovely. Just blumming lovely. I hear voices, so I'm not alone. Might as well wake up proper. I stand up, slowly, dusting of my cloak, while looking around the room. Stuck in a fricking medieval dungeon worthy of any game, with three women ... scratch that, two women and a girl, teenager at best. I glance at the only thing really out of ordinary in the room, a large computer terminal with a message. Introduce ourself? Are you fricking kidding me? I remember the collar, and figure if I don't want to hurt, I better obey Big Brother. "Name's Anthony Diggins, at your service." Leaving the Asian looking woman, Kotone, I believe, to talk to the kid, I observe the room, looking for clues for ... anything, really. Perception: vbsXUIiG3d6 3d6
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Post by Bowyer on Jan 14, 2016 14:59:29 GMT
The world slowly comes back into focus and Brinn surges to her feet. Too quickly, making it only halfway as dizziness spills through her as an aftereffect of whatever foul tinctures had knocked her out in the first place. She can hardly take in the odd square box before it springs to life. Some sort of sorcery? No, a demon or an evil spirit if the smaller woman's reactions are anything to go by. Her banishment seems to have no effect as the box continues to glow, still issuing its command to introduce themselves. Brinn finally stands, more cautiously this time. She keeps an eye on the box as she makes her way to the rest of the group but stops just short. She tries to keep an eye on all of them but it is a hopeless task with so much unknown. "Was the demon's power to great?" she asks of the one known as Kotone, as she tries to inspect the collar with her fingertips, "Should we do what it asks?" She forgets that in such flickering light, her mask made a demon of her as well. The waif seemed even more confused than the Brinn was. And Brinn wasn't sure how to answer such an odd question of : what am I. Instead she tries to soothe the girl's presumed fears of being trapped by some reprehensible demon, "Don't fear, I will find some way out of this misfortune." Of course, she has no idea if it's true but Fate had been on her side before, why not now? Perception to keep an eye on everything: veKMNdMh2d6 2d6
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jan 14, 2016 15:25:10 GMT
Kotone... has absolutely no idea how to comfort a scared kid. Even if that kid looks a little older than Kotone thought at first glance. She waves a hand helplessly, trying to forestall the threatened tears. "Don't... don't cry..."
Wait, what does she mean, "What am I?" "What are you" Kotone could kind of understand, if she wasn't looking perfectly normal at the moment, but "what am I" is such a strange question that she doesn't even know where to start.
At least the others are up and doing things. Tall guy - Anthony? - is apparently practical enough to actually start looking around instead of... wasting time yelling at the monitor. Oops. And the lady in the mask at least looks like she can handle herself, even if now she's spouting nonsense too. "What demon? What are you talking about?"
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jan 14, 2016 17:08:17 GMT
I observe the room, absently noting the kid asking us 'what am I?' The frick? She serious. Whatever, need to set my priorities straight. Find clues to our surroundings first, then start calming people down. I turn around on the mention of Demons, and see the final person here has woken up as well. Following her gaze, I see she's looking at the computer, and the Asian looking woman. "Yeah, no way in hell that a Demon's gonna fit in that, believe me. Really, just a computer, no magic involved there." Speaking of magic, I should probably see what, if any, magic is used here. Concentrating for the slighest of moments, this has really become second nature by now, I activate my Arcane Eye and start looking around. Perception for Arcane Eye (Psionic Sight): dh_mWeNI3d6 3d6
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Post by haybalebarn on Jan 14, 2016 18:44:40 GMT
Anthony, you manage to find an interesting pile of dust on the ground, but otherwise the room seems to be your fairly standard weird creepy stone dungeon with a computer monitor in the middle. Activating your Arcane eye, you can see some faint... residue hanging around the small girl, seeming to originate from her. It's very different from the magical residue you see at home, something far different, but it's something. You also sense another psychic presence, but you can't quite lock it down. It's even fainter than the girl's, wispy and ethereal, and every time you think you've spotted it, it's faded into the background. If you'd like to gain more insight into this, add an intuition roll onto the end of your next post.
Brinn, you almost miss it because of the strange and off-putting situation, but your experience around stone causes you to realize that something is out of place. The stone of your dungeon certainly looks real, but some things aren't quite right. Structurally, it would never hold up if it was truly made out of stone. Suddenly, there's a loud Ding! and a new message flickers onto the screen. "Better find out what you all can do before I press the mute button. It will be very bad for you if you choose poorly."
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jan 14, 2016 19:23:18 GMT
As I activate my Arcane Eye, there's one thing I notice right of the bat. The familiar glow of my cloak... It's fricking gone! "FRICKING HELL!" What the hell had happened to my work. It's fricking next to impossible to dispell Enchanting work, let alone MINE! God-Fricking-Dammit. Wait ... what in the Nine Hells is that? In my surprise, my head had been jolted up, and I happened to spot ... something around the kid. Can't exactly call it magic, as it isn't, but for the life of me I don't know what it is. Different, is all I can say. Just as I'm about to ask the girl what the mojo around her is, I spot something different, like what's around the girl, but less ... there, I guess. I whip my head around a couple of times, trying to pin it down, but it seems to be avoid my attention, constantly floating away. Just. Fricking. Great. I search my mind for what it could be, wanting desperately to have at least some clue as to what the frick is going on. Intuition: Atm22YXO2d6 Occult Education (what the hell am I seeing?): 4d6
As I'm looking around the room, trying to find the source for that strange ... thing, the computer dings. 'Better find out what you all can do before I press the mute button. It will be very bad for you if you choose poorly.' Distracted from the entity for the moment, I turn to the others. "Well, frick. Any of you guys have an idea what that's supposed to mean?"2d6·4d6
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Post by Revimpx on Jan 14, 2016 19:37:52 GMT
Sara, finally getting a hold of herself, would slowly get up and glance around, panicking wont solve anything she thinks to herself. The odd creatures around her, who appear similar to herself now in shape, appear to be panicking too, and the odd box gives no real hints. She focuses, something she does well and scans the room for any hints that she can use to her advantage, maybe any potential switches to open the doors, or any holes she can swap through Perception 6aSnT8Ta2d6 Intuition to understand the situation or anything she sees 3d6
"This... is no time to freak out, we're running out of time" She looks over at the spinning man, he looks kinda crazy with how he's moving around and referring to something as if it was there. "I dont know what choices we have, give me a moment" She scans the room for any additional minds in the area besides the four of them. Sara would start to eminate a Calming aura, now that she is semi-relaxed.(Gentle Vibe goooo) 2d6·3d6·4d6
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Post by Bowyer on Jan 14, 2016 20:18:13 GMT
Not a demon? Then why had the other woman been cursing it? Brinn speaks questioningly, still not entirely convinced it isn't a demon, "Then what is this 'computer'? Did it bring us h-" Brinn is interrupted by the beep and the sudden shifting of the text to a new perhaps more ominous message. 'What could they do?' What kind of question was that? Anthony's question is met with a terse response, "How should I know what the 'computer' wants? I've no idea what it is!" Her rising panic, feeding off of his, is oddly curbed. Brinn's only at mildly perturbed rather than full blown raving. She glances at the walls about them to be sure before grabbing a torch off the wall, "These walls are...odd. Might be a way through somehow." Using the torch's flickering light she tries to find something else out of place in the walls. An added bonus was getting herself even further from the 'computer' and its demands. Perception to find thingsYwVduk8T2d6
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jan 15, 2016 3:19:49 GMT
"How do you not know what a computer-?" Kotone starts talking over the rest of the other woman's questions, until they're both interrupted by the ping of a new message arriving on the screen. While this confirms in Kotone's mind that there's someone on the other end, it doesn't actually help them much. "My best guess? Whoever's on the other end is a sadistic -" She doesn't stop there and impugns their presumptive captor's ancestry for a moment. Then, more seriously, she adds, "I'd guess he's got a kill switch on his end. He gets bored, we lose our heads." She tugs at her collar meaningfully. "This is probably some sadistic game for him. He wants to see if we can get out of this on a timer."She's taking this more calmly than she expected. She's not sure why; more important things to think about. At least the masked woman has a sensible suggestion. "How are they odd?" Kotone doesn't know stone walls very well. Still, even as she asks she's already going over to check one of the other walls for some sort of flaw or weak point. Or who knows, maybe there really is some kind of secret panel. Perception! Is there a way out through the wall? A3m1ZfPO2d6 2d6
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Post by haybalebarn on Jan 15, 2016 4:34:30 GMT
Kotone, you notice that there is a giant stone door on one of the walls. It seems safe to assume it's probably the way out. However, it appears to be closed right now... Otherwise, to you the walls seem incredibly normal for stone walls.
Brinn, these walls, besides their odd structure, hide most of their secrets from you. Despite looking at the parts that seem like they "shouldn't work", you can't seem to find anything wrong with them. Those spots should be physically impossible, and yet they are. Now why could that be?
Sara, you notice that the door isn't the only stone slab that looks like it can move. There appear to be 4 small indents that look like they could be shifted to reveal something behind them. Whether or not any of you have the strength to move those slabs is yet to be seen.
Anthony, your senses strain to try and interpret what this wispy residue is, but you can't quite tell what it could be. However, searching your brain, you remember something from both your studies and past experience. Many magical scholars theorize that ghosts very slowly shed their remaining energy as the move, eventually running out of their spiritual energies and disappearing for good. While you don't have much experience with ghosts, having spent much more time with living magical creatures, perhaps this is some sort of similar effect?
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Post by Revimpx on Jan 15, 2016 4:47:23 GMT
Sara glances at the slabs around the room, clutching her book she brightens up seeing the slabs. What were they? There are four, and four of them, hopefully this wasn't a coincidence. "The walls, there are... indents we can move, four of them, maybe if we moved them there is something we all have to interact with simultaneously to open the door, there are four of us after all" She moves over to the one farthest from the rest of the other prisoners and motions to it, making sure to point out the rest once she gets there. After she would attempt to move the slab to investigate, hoping everyone would keep an eye on her in case something happened, or it was out of her power to open. Athletics to open the slab 4vDrbrxF2d6
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Post by Bowyer on Jan 15, 2016 4:52:51 GMT
The smaller woman wasn't making sense again. There wasn't anything here that might kill them. Well unless they collapsed the walls or starved them to death. Brinn's search turns up nothing helpful so she turns to answer Kotone's question, "Just look at them. The rooms too large to be unsupported, at least with regular stone." She pauses thinking over Kotone's other question "I've never heard of this 'computer'," she replies flatly, "Is it some form of sorcery?"Somehow Brinn had failed to notice the door that Kotone was now standing by. Odd really, it did stand out. She tries to push it open. A weak hope but this dungeon already made little sense. Maybe the way out was unlocked as well...but the girl notices something she had missed. Well then let's pool our efforts." Brinn moves to another of the indents and gives it a shove Moving stuff AthleticstqlRlNhN2d6 2d6
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jan 15, 2016 4:55:48 GMT
Kotone isn't much for architecture. She has utterly failed to discover any way out of the room apart from the door - which she hasn't bothered to try at all, nothing's ever that easy - or indeed anything useful at all, so Sara's discovery is a welcome one. She turns to inspect the little niches she pointed out. "Nice job, Sara. Better than anything I found." She smiles sheepishly as she crosses the room to inspect one of the other slabs. After a moment's consideration, she attempts to move it. Anyone paying attention might notice that though Kotone isn't big, she's got some serious muscle on her for her size - it's visibly straining as she tries to shift the slab. Athletics to open the slab: 0U_tdgQ13d6 3d6
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Jan 15, 2016 16:22:45 GMT
I remember where I've seen something similar to the pattern this ... thing is leaving behind. Specters manifesting in the physical world slowly leak magic and ectoplasm, creating whispy traces in the air, something like this really. Satisfied that I had at least found a possible explanation for the entity, I am called from my thoughts my the teenager, who seems to have calmed down a lot and has spotted something. Indents, ey? "Well spotted, kid." I call as I walk to the only free slab and begin pushing with all my might, hoping this doesn't get all of us killed. Athletics to push the slab: c_lliy2c3d6 3d6
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Post by haybalebarn on Jan 16, 2016 6:57:29 GMT
As you all strain against the slabs, everyone except Brinn can slowly feel their slab grating upwards.... and then suddenly they fly upwards, as if some hidden mechanism opened up the slabs. At the same moment, you are all distinctly aware of a loud buzzing sounds from your necks, almost as if something was powering up. If any of your characters would move while the shock collar is active, don't bother taking damage. Just roleplay out the extreme dose of pain they receive and we'll be good. ^-^
As the buzzing continues, each of your collars gives a small Ding! not unlike the noise the computer made it. Then, from the collars a small image is projected in front of your eyes. "You aren't very good at listening to instructions, are you. I was going to let one of you assign these to the other 3 after you introduce yourselves, but it seems that you all wanted to spin the wheel of chance! Have fun with that." The words disappear for a moment, and then you are all treated to a grainy, pixellated video of a woman running through a corridor. You can't make out expressions very well, but it seems rather obvious that she's terrified. All of a sudden, her body is bathed in a sharp yellow light originating from the collar around her neck and you cries out in horrific pain before falling silent and collapsing, the electricity still coursing through her body. The video then abruptly cuts off. "This is what happens if I don't like what I see. This is your warning. Now, have fun with your new toys!" Anthony, roll intuition please.
The buzzing noise then abruptly stops, and you all have free movement again. Or so you think. Suddenly, your hands are violently pulled into the hole in front of you by some strange force, and you find yourself each pulling out an item. Brinn, on first glance, you like the look of this. Seems you've got a sword! But as you continue looking, something seems... wrong. The blade is a bright pink color. Pink is not particularly the color you want in a sword. Then on further notice, the edges of the blade are completely dull. Who the hell would want this sword? You try to throw it away, but when you do it suddenly appears in your hands again. Oh great... The Lover's Blade
Cursed! The AC of all your physical attacking moves is increased by 2! Your physical attacks may only crit on a 20, even if they would crit otherwise. This weapon does not provide any DB bonuses.
You gain the moves Fairy Wind (Normal frequency) and Heal Pulse (At a frequency of Dailyx1 instead of x2) while wielding this weapon. Congrats!
Kotone, when your hands come back from the back space they were drawn into, you pull out what at first glances appears to be a completely normal mirror. But as you look into the mirror, instead of seeing yourself, you see a shadowy mist drifting lazily. As it notices you it suddenly rushes forward, pressing against the glass of the mirror like a kid at an aquarium. It stops, then in a flash it reshapes itself into a shadowy mirror of you. Then, the mirror begins shaking violently and the darkness rushes over your body, covering you. When it's finally over, the mirror is gone. It it's place, a layer of shadows wisps its way over you in a sinister manner. While your own hands are empty, the shadow version of your hands hold two equally shadowy blades. On the edge of your mind, you can feel another presence, and it's angry. You're not sure you can control it. The Mirror
Cursed! Twisting shadows surrounding you threaten to take over... Whenever you make an attack while wielding this weapon, you must make a DC 12 Command check or become enraged.
This weapon is a Small Melee Weapon. While wielding it, your struggle attacks may be dark typed if you so choose. You gain the move Night Slash (At a frequency of Scene x2)
Sara, in and out your hands fly, and out with them comes... something you don't quite recognize. Anthony certainly does though, after all, it's his gun! However, it looks quite a bit worse for wear than when he last saw it. It seems like it will function though, not like it'll do Sara any good. Anthony's Gun
Cursed! Lucky you, the only curse you have is an inability to get rid of this thing.
Unlucky you, it seems rather beaten up at the moment. The weapon is a Crude Ranged Simple Weapon at the moment, nothing else.
Anthony, at this point, you know what's going to happen. You've encountered cursed objects before, they always seem to have a certain draw to them, like the draw you're feeling now. In you go, and out you pull... a massive hammer. Man, this thing is gaudy, and really light too. What in the Nine Hells? The hammer itself seems to be made of 3 main jewels, one red, one yellow, and one light blue. These jewels are pretty large, and glowing with power. Mage's Hammer
Cursed! Whenever you make a melee weapon attack with this weapon, roll a d10. On a 3, you are burned. On a 2, you are paralyzed. On a 1, you are frozen. Every time a charge of this weapon is used, the corresponding effect no longer occurs if you roll its number.
This weapon functions as a Small Melee Weapon, despite its size. Per scene, you gain one use of Thundershock, Ember, and Powder Snow each.
Behind you four, the giant stone door silently slides open, forebodingly inviting you inside.
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Post by carnackiArdent on Jan 16, 2016 7:49:30 GMT
Kotone reaches up to grab the collar reflexively when it starts buzzing, as if she has half a hope of tearing it off by main strength. But as soon as she starts to lift her arms...
Everyone else - assuming they're not incapacitated themselves - will see her buckle to her knees, letting out a strained, breathless hiss, gritting her teeth with the effort of not screaming out loud. She's paying no attention to the projection, her eyes shut tightly; all her attention is focused on not giving whoever's behind this the satisfaction of hearing her scream from the pain coursing through her. Though if they've got a close enough view of her face, they might be able to see tears squeezing out from the corners of her eyes anyway.
When the pain finally stops and her muscles unclench, she's left shaking and breathing hard. She watches the message and the video tensely, until the last line; she lets out a short, sharp, barking noise that might just be a laugh with every semblance of humor torn away. "Like I couldn't figure that out already."
She struggles to her feet just in time to have her arms yanked forward into the little alcove. She stares into the mirror uncomprehendingly. The masked woman gets a sword, and she gets a mirror? Or more like a particularly boring screensaver on a handheld, nothing but black mist, until it all rushes in and reforms into her face. Hard to blame her for that making her jump a little. She could swear it grins at her for a moment, and then the mirror starts shaking and the shadowy mist pours out of it, flowing over her in an uncomfortably familiar way.
For a few moments, she thinks she's seeing double - is that really a shadow moving with her? She waves a hand and watches as the shadowy blade follows it. "What in the...?" More worrying is the intruding presence of something in her mind, something angry... or maybe it's not so worrying after all. After being abducted, threatened, imprisoned, and shocked, Kotone's angry, too. Her hands curl into fists around the nonexistent hilts of the shadowy swords. "Well, what now?"
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