The Lord of the Labyrinth

[Vaitris]

[OOC: Hau pushes Sjira behind him and tries to shove his knife-wielding mother back into her sarcophagus.]

"Hey, what do you see? Are you alright?"

Hau startled back at the touch and the voice right next to him, having not seen Sjira approach. "I-you don't-" His words, like his thoughts, were scattered. This was a startling confirmation, what he was seeing was his own private nightmare.

He spotted it out of the corner of his eye, a flash of blue on a sword - no, just the reflection of sickly light on something smaller, a dagger, in Clare's hand. He understood now that his 'ohana wasn't here, that this was an illusion and these were imposters, but knowing was different than feeling the truth of it. Still, the presence of the weapon, and the teenager suddenly standing there next to him, struck horror through the kitsune. And Sjira couldn't see the danger he was in.

What came next was automatic, it was panicky, adrenaline-fueled reflex. Hau pushed the teen behind him and out of reach of the hungry, grasping hands of his zombie family. Then he turned and shoved Clare away with both hands, trying to send her right back into the sarcophagus she had crawled out of, all the while repeating under his breath, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Fuck, I'm sorry."

The rest of the undead never left his sight, even if they fell into the periphery of it. He had to stay away from them and keep Sjira back. If he was the only one who could see them, then he was overwhelmingly outnumbered. And even if they might not be able to do him or the boy any actual harm, Hau wasn't willing to take any chances. He'd keep shepherding Sjira away from them as long as it took to come up with some other solution or improvise a weapon.

[NightshadeVII]

(OOC: Halloween panic time 2: electric boogaloo. Edge attempts to use his powers one more time, this time attempting to directly manipulate the ground beneath him. Does not like the fact that his powers do not work. Snapping out of it when Jed asks for help, Edge walks to jed’s sarcophagus to dechiper the writing and find a way to input the answer (rolls 15 for Arcana). Suggests that maybe they should blow air on the coffin, but that they should also check what the text says first.)

Breath hitched when he felt something so natural to him failing him, hands clenched against the earth, fingers digging furrows in the ground. No way. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. He tried again, but was met with the same result.
It made him feel blind, numb, like his senses had been dulled, like a part of him was missing. Again. Of course, he still had all his other senses, but not being able to use something that had practically become second nature to him, made his entire system feel out of balance, like it was calibrated wrong.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, a single, shaky exhale escaping his lips, followed by a quiet curse. Practically already knowing the outcome, yet hoping against hope, he tried to bend the ground beneath him, just trying to do something simple, like raising a small, geometrical cube. Normally, he could do this without even thinking. But this time he focused, trying not to think of the likely scenario that it wouldn’t work, trying to push it as far from his mind as possible. He hadn’t lost something so natural to him, had he?

The Darai was snapped out of it when Jed called out his name and it all came back. With a sigh, he ran his hands over his face, as if exhausted, and rose to his feet, his pants now smudged with dirt. Jed was speaking to him, something about a riddle and wind and another sarcophagus. He was asking for help needing to figure out how to input the answer.
Slowly, Edge nodded.
“Sure, let’s take a look”, he said, mustering a smile that was shakier than before, “how’s everyone else doing with their stuff?”

The sarcophagus Jed was having trouble with looked like any other, stone, decorated with gold, old and nicked here and there. His heart fell in his chest as realization struck him. How was he supposed to find anything when he was missing the one thing that might be able to help them the most? That way he might have been able to find hidden crevices or anything that might not be visible to the naked eye. But that option had been taken away from him.
Then he shook his head, muttering a quiet “shut up” to himself, as if trying to shake the thoughts out of his mind. He wasn’t entirely useless yet, was he? After all, he still had his wits about him, most of his sense still worked like they should. If he could relearn his balance, he could adjust to this too. In a more offhand comment, almost mostly to himself, he wondered out loud if they perhaps had to blow air on the sarcophagus or something like that. However, he’d prefer acting after gathering information. 
So, as the look in his eyes changed, he began to study the sarcophagus.

[Pearl Dragon]

[Kira tries to urge Jedidiah to help, also takes a glance at the sarcophagus that Jed is mulling over. She rolls a 10]

The scuffle in the dark was just that, but from what she could tell, there was no one there except Hau. She shrank back with the encouraging hand of Sjira and held her breath as Sjira approached the panicked Hau. She drew breath again in a gasp as Hau shoved Sjira and then began to shove at empty air ahead of him. What was happening? What was he lashing out at? Kira now felt her own fear rising into similar panic as she turned and shuffled quickly towards Jedidiah.

"...-The answer to the riddle on the plague was wind but I have no idea what language is carved into the coffin. . . ."
She heard Jedidiah say as she retreated towards him.

Kira collided into the back of Jedidiah's calves, wrapping both arms around one leg in a terrified hug. She tugged and pulled at him with her arms while still clutching the crystal and fruit, trying to encourage him away from the strange, blocky thing.

"Is no right! Is no right!" She whimpered, "What wrong is be him? Is he be no right? Danger? What do? Must go, must help!" Her own voice again sounded much too high. Every time Hau cried out, apologizing to nothing and scuffling aggressively around, it felt as if her stomach dropped farther and farther into her abdomen.

In her panic, Kira glanced up at the blocky thing with the riddle to see if there might be anything about it that could help Hau. What she was looking for, she wasn't sure, but she did peer momentarily at the symbols.

[MP]

[ OOC: Aaron listens to the distant sounds (nature 2), and observes the area (perception 13). He heads right to look down the straight path in the hopes of seeing an obvious way out (stealth 2).]

Aaron’s attention snapped around to the north, tracking the distant sound. Watchers? Structural flaws? It was clear this used to be a city - they’d been in trapped in what looked like a library - so hostile residents weren’t out of the question.

If there was someone else, they never showed their face. His gaze went to their surroundings next, sweeping the grating to the left, the branching fork to the right, even the pitch black ceiling. No good using photomancy - he’d tried on the ambient light from the room. It would’ve been nice to have a mobile light.

“Clear in the alley,” he said, flinching at the light off Faolan's torch. Where had he - no, don't think about it. Don't look at it. His feet had moved of their own accord, putting healthy distance between himself and the fire. Aaron was suddenly glad to take point.

Suppressing a shudder, he indicated himself, then the righthand passage, relying on hand signals until the area was clear. Simon and Dr. Mura would have to guide Kiyohara, and he...needed to keep his distance. Focus on recon. If this was a city, it should have a main road. An exit. Before they risked any of the buildings - and any structural instability - he wanted to get his bearings.

This was the direction of the rumbling before. And now the softer clattering. Aaron wasn’t eager to follow the sounds, but there was a torch at his back and a night of check-ins piling up, and the dark suddenly didn't seem so bad. Maybe the path would lead around to the other side of that gate.

[Sharei]

[OOC: Sjira makes a small startled noise and stumbles back as Hau pushes him. He stays behind Hau, but close, and repeats his question: "What is it that you're seeing? What's going on?" He peers into the area and tries to see what it is that Hau is seeing.]

[kilnarak]

[ Ari does not take the weapons. Instead he moves to try to go help with the candle puzzle. Nat 20. He lights the candles, then arranges them on the altars according to the colors of the gems.]

Ari's search brought him a pair of ornate knives, beautiful and gleaming, utterly perfect for him. He reached for one, lifted it to examine it... and then the sense that something was wrong made him drop it to clatter among the others. No no, this place didn't want them armed. It wanted them helpless, afraid. It had already taken their natural weapons, why would it suddenly give them these now? It had to be some sort of trick. Still the gleaming knives tempted him...

Ari forced himself to move away from the weapons, padding barefoot to join the others by the altars. He slunk over to place Moana between himself and Casmir, flinching at the sound of things collapsing... that couldn't have been more than a room or two over. Was it getting closer?

He couldn't focus on that. Instead he looked up to the gruesome scenes in the windows above, trying to make some sense of them. Casmir had already lit one of the candles, but which one was next? The images... made no sense. But the order of the gems, that seemed important. He glanced at the blonde man a moment, wasting time. Then he snuck over to take the lantern and light the other candles. The flames flared in order: Green, White, Blue, Red, Purple. Each colored like the stones in the images above. He hesitated a moment, then moved to place a candle on each altar: Red first, then Blue, then Purple, White, and Green. That looked right, didn't it?

[qhostqrowls]

[Fao follows Aaron, helps guide Nagi if needed. Suggests that maybe they go through the large wooden doors. Rolled 6 for perception of the area and 5 for insight .-.]

The dead city loomed above them, imposing and silent. Faolan walked close to Nagi, as much to guide the man as to comfort himself. Unease prickled down his spine. The distant clatter of rubble, or whatever it was, was not the best sign...either structural instability, or something was beginning to move.

He watched Aaron closely, glancing down the route he indicated. The right hand street forked off into the distance.

"Maybe we should go into that room." He pointed with the torch to the enormous red wooden door, speaking in a hushed whisper. It didn't feel right to disturb the silence of the maze-like streets, but it felt like going through the door was the right decision. "Since it's open? Whatever you think..."

[beastly]

[Simon follows, looking around (badly, he got a 3 in perception) and trying to move quietly and carefully (15 stealth)]

Simon felt nervous being out in the open. He'd follow Eric off a cliff if the guy thought that was the right choice, probably, but this whole thing made him nervous. He moved as quietly as he could, looking out for falling debris, tail low. He glanced around, and just kept moving, trying to stifle an uncertain noise in his throat.

He looked at the door as directed. That'd be a good door. Inside a place, not outside. Logically he knew if something was out there crushing buildings it wasn't going to save them, but it felt safer than being out on the street. He felt like something was going to fall on their heads.

[Marshmallow]

[ OOC Summary: Nagi stays close to Faolan. He doesn't want to split the party, is considering the open door Fao mentions. Attempts to identify the source of the new sound and listens for anything else that stands out in the silence. He also takes note of any new or unusual scents to try to get a vibe for what direction they should go (Perception 8, Nature 9, Insight 10) ]

[jarahamee]

Group 1:

Edge, Jedi, Kira, Sjira, Hau : 4 Crystals. 1 Exotic Fruit

Group 1 map: photos.app.goo.gl/yuRJN34pfbNQViYAA

Jedi beseeches one of the others to solve the solution of the sarcophagus, specifically asking for Edge’s help.

Hau flung Clare back into her sarcophagus, where she made heavy impact, exploding into dust and debris as she fell, as if she had never been substantial in the first place. And perhaps, she never had been. Her body crumbled away to nothing.

The others seemed not to notice, approaching steadily, their hungry, dead eyes staring into his soul as they pressed forward. They were as real as ever, but some part of him, perhaps most of him, knew it could not really be them. It was never them.

Within his moment of doubt, his sister stared directly at him, lips curled back in a snarl. She curled into herself, and then leapt out at him, arms raised like a spider.

Sjira can see Hau reacting to something that is not real. Sjira knows it is not real. Nothing feels real or right to him. He can ASSIST Hau if he wants…(Roll a 1d20 Wisdom)

Edge finds the symbol on the sarcophagus that means WIND with his fingers. The grooves felt just right, and indeed, there was an area like a whistle which one might blow into. Once he did so, a silvery crystal appeared before him.

Kira is not sure what the symbols mean, but she feels a profound sense of rightness when Edge blew into the appropriate groove, and a silvery crystal appeared on top of the sarcophagus.

In the same way, there is a sense of wrongness with whatever is happening near Hau and Sjira. She knows they need her help, and she may have to interfere.



Group 2:

Casmir, Moana, Ari, Malgrim: 4 Crystals

Group 2 map: photos.app.goo.gl/fA892scLx8HsxpXx8


**The following few seconds are deathly silent, and then there is a softer, yet heavier thump on the other side of the wall at ground level. Those that are perceptive (Perception 15 or higher), can hear a soft clink, like metal. Roll Perception.**


Casmir lit the first candle, beneath the Peridot altar, and finds that it alights a purple color. Nothing happens, like the room has taken a deep breath.

Malgrim takes his crystal, and then joins the others at the altars. He felt he knew the truth, and yet he became distracted by the window.

As he looks up, the beautiful window, which means nothing to their mission, seems to gain more meaning to him; four powerful beings fighting for domination. Of those, three were powerful. One sought to enslave and crush others to its will, one sought to devour them outright and use them to fuel its magic, and another nearly ignored or trampled them in its quest to seek truth. Only the last, which accepted worship quietly, could be considered any kind of decency.

Ari lights the candles, their flames Green, White, Blue, Red, Purple, then, easily and with precision, he moved the candles on their altars. The flames brightened, climbing upwards, fizzling like sparklers, and then burned down to smoke. A single crystal appears amid the brightness, clear as glass but many times more refractive.

There is a soft click, and the large doors on either side of the room seem to open towards the outside slightly, releasing the air in the room, and changing its pressure slightly.

Moana watches the group succeed at their last hurdle, only to hear the unsettling sound of whatever was on the other side of the secret door.
She hears the muffled sound of a voice on the other side of the wall.

Group 3:

Aaron, Faolan, Simon, Nagi : 4 Crystals

Group 3 Map: photos.app.goo.gl/EVvJ3AgWsJuhSY2m6


**As you venture Northwards, you hear a heavy thump, and a soft clink in the darkness far from you. There is a long pause in which there is nothing but silence, and then, distant and soft, you hear a voice;

“Aliquod audio.”

The voice is both strangely hoarse and deeply guttural, fluctuating unevenly. **

Aaron trips in the darkness as he leads the group on, North and Eastwards, passing the red door to the West. The near-fall kicks a few pieces of loose stone into the alleyway and down into the cobblestone street. The various paths curled away from him as he moved towards the East.

Far beyond, where their lantern light does not reach, he hears the voice, closer this time;


“Dominus meus, propinquae sunt.”


A soft scrape of metal, as if a blade brushed against stone momentarily. Still distant, but not as far.

Faolan does not hear the soft voice, but as he raises his lantern towards the North where he heard the heavy object fall, he sees two distant pinpoints of light. It was almost like someone was holding two candles, though it only appeared the moment he held up his lantern. Like the hungry eyes of a carnivorous animal, but far too high up, too wavering, not quite right. It set the hair on the back of his neck off.

Nagi hears the distant object fall, and perhaps, makes out the faint voice, but not what it is saying. Something feels wrong, and he senses he should avoid it though. They are moving towards the danger, and not away from it….

Simon moves silently in the gloom, hesitating over the red door. Things did not seem any more inviting here when he felt something change to the North of their location, as they approached the corner of their previous room.

[qhostqrowls]

[Faolan sees eyes and is spooked. Tells the group what he saw and suggests they go and hide in the red door room. 1 for insight into wtf is that, 17 for stealth]

Faolan held the torch up at the distant thump. The light was reflected back in two pale moons wavering high off the ground. The fear was sudden and overwhelming and sickeningly familar - it was a predators gaze. He faltered and momentarily lost sight of the eyes, only for them to reappear more clearly, bobbing in a horrifingly wolf-like way.

"I can see eyes up ahead, they're reflecting the light - I think we should go back." He spoke in a panicked whisper, his face pale and drawn in the flickering light. Maybe they could hide in the room, or close the door at the very least. He just wanted to get off the streets and out of the open. Away from whatever was coming closer. "We can - we can hide in that room."

The human was more than ready to beat a hasty retreat. His pulse raced as he placed a hand on Nagi's shoulder, ready to help guide the man back down the alley. The less noise they made, the better.

[MP]

[OOC: Aaron recommends the group go through the door around the east corner so as not to corner themselves (8 stealth, 1 perception to guess wtf that thing is). He takes a stone with him, tries to gauge whether the thing can fit through doors (2 investigation) but will ultimately follow the group if they don't agree.]

Aaron saw the lights too and felt for them by instinct, an unconscious reach of magic. The hair stood straight up along his neck and arms as he felt it. Sunlight felt different from electrical. Living things put out a different luminescence than an artificial source. This just felt wrong - a gut-deep, instinctual danger.

He glanced back as Faolan started to back away, thinking fast. He gestured to the doctor urgently and shook his head.

Dead end. he mouthed, pointing at the gate across the alley way. He gestured at the door around the corner instead. It might be a few steps closer to the voice, but if they were fast and quiet, they could make it. And if whatever it was tried to pursue, or if they had to evacuate the room, the barred end of the alleyway could easily become a trap. They couldn't afford to corner themselves in unknown territory - however much he wanted to put distance between themselves and the voice.

It sounded like Latin, he thought, stooping to pick up the stone he'd tripped on. But the voice was wrong. The height was wrong. Too big to fit through a door, he hoped, but he wasn't sure. Aaron looked to the others, knowing these seconds were critical. If they did ignore him and go for the nearest door, he'd follow. He was the only field agent here, and their safety was his responsibility.

[Salandis]

[Moana rolls a 16 to try and hear what is being said, and then a 19 for insight on the door – how it can be opened (Or maybe barred?]

"Well, he’ll certainly stay together better if you don’t shake him," Moana growled, watching as he lit the candle. The green gemstone was heavy in her hands – she wondered if she could take it into her water form? Most of the time it was as easy as thought – the way her limbs felt now, there was no guarantee. She settled for putting it in a pocket – her dresses always had pockets.

The purple flame was definitely not standard. Looking up at the window and the gems, she began to have an idea of how this should be sorted, but before she could act on it Ari took over. 'For a shaky kid he can definitely do what needed doing,' she thought approvingly as he lit the candles. In only moments he had them arranged correctly, matching colours to gems. The, “Well done Ari,” die on her lips, though, as the thump and metallic click outside heralded company.

Moana heard some kind of muffled voice on the other side of the wall and was over there in a flash, pressing against the wall to try and hear what the hell was going on over there. “Is this a door?” she said, pressing fingers against the wall to find a seam. “How do we open this? We don’t want to be stuck in here...”

[Marshmallow]

(some elements of this post refer to the previous round because I am too tired to write two separate posts in one day, sorry for any confusion found herein)

[Summary: Nagi freezes when he hears the Mystery Voice in the distance. He listens for any other clues to the voice's identity. The current direction feels like Danger, so he reaches out for Faolan and starts to back up toward the set of Large Wooden Doors. Unfortunately he can't see Aaron's signals, 'cause he blind yo.  (Perception 5, Stealth 17)]


Aaron called the all-clear, and one by one the group stepped through the door. Nagi stuck close by Faolan as they left the treasure trove behind. The borrowed cane swept in measured arcs before him, giving him a sense for the spacing as he crossed the threshold.

He listened as the hollow echo of Aaron's footsteps faded away to their right. Judging by the sound and the stillness of the air, it felt like they were definitely deep underground, and most certainly still in close quarters. A corridor perhaps... No, an alleyway - the sounds didn't bounce back from a ceiling overhead, but simply echoed off to unknown heights. It reminded him a bit of the Wathais Underground, just much quieter and significantly less welcoming.


Away in the distance to their right, another sound of falling something echoed back to them. Nagi caught it only just, but it sounded closer than the landslide had. More worrisome than that, however, was the faintest whisper of words that followed a moment after. The kirin frowned as he strained to listen, but he couldn't make out what was being said - if anything at all. He could almost write it off as his imagination playing with the dreadful silence if it hadn't been for the feeling of foreboding and wrongness that came with it. It slid down his spine like cold oil, unpleasant and unwelcome. 'Danger!' his prey senses all but screamed. Instinct bid him to freeze, and so he stood rooted to the spot as he tried to listen.


"Wait. Something's not right." Nagi spoke in a harsh whisper. He reached out with his free hand as though to stop his companions from walking forward, and found Faolan's arm. In almost the same beat, the doctor's hand moved to rest on Nagi's shoulder. Faolan had seen something, but Nagi... Nagi could feel something. It was only at the fringes of his senses, stunted as they were, but he could feel living water. A body - maybe several bodies - somewhere to their north. 

"Where is Aaron? How far did he get..? We shouldn't go that way, it's dangerous. I can feel something there..." he hissed, trying to keep his voice low in case whatever was ahead might hear them. The kirin took a slow step backwards, edging as quietly as he could manage toward the door Faolan had described next to them. But if Aaron was too far ahead, then what? He was torn, uncertainty and fear mounting with every second of indecision.

[luscen]

[CASMIR struggles with his self-doubt, then catches the sound of metal clinking (perception roll 14 + 6 perception bonus, so 20) He encourages ARI to take the crystal for solving the puzzle, then follows MOANA to the sealed door. After pointing out that the two doors on the east and west are open, he asks the party if they want to go through one of the doors, or try and see what's behind this one.]

Casmir frowned as he tried to figure out what to do next- the candle had been under the green gem, yet the flame had burned purple. No other indication of what to do followed, so where were the offerings? What was he supposed to do!?

Malgrim sidled up to the Hunter as he stewed over this dilemma, looking between the candles and the window. “So uh what kind of monsters do you hunt?” the goblin asked in a conversational tone, though the blonde wasn't in the mood for shop talk. “Not uh law-abiding folk right?”

“Depends on whose laws,” Casmir muttered in reply as he set the lantern down on the nearby altar. No eyesight. No weapons. No further clues to the puzzle, and here he was wasting time trying to figure this out, while whatever it was that was knocking down walls was likely getting closer to them. Monster or rotting foundations, it didn't matter; one would kill them as readily as the other.

'You're over-thinking things,' his calmer side tried to reason. He wasn't out of options, yet- there were still four more candles, and perhaps a solution would present itself once they were all lit. Perhaps all he had to do was match the right candle to the right gem?

'That's too simple,' Casmir growled in response. There had to be more to it than that! What if he lit them all and triggered a trap? Or what if there wasn't enough light in the lantern? Somewhere in the back of his mind, however, he knew he was being too pedantic; he was always one to over-analyze a problem, something Roland had often gotten after him for. But after what had happened with Sjira and Atol... he had been so sure his plan would have worked, and then...

Casmir leaned forward and gripped the sides of the altar, his knuckles whitening under the fabric of his gloves. He tried to think calmly but his mind wouldn't cooperate, instead chasing itself around with any number of horrible possibilities, all gruesome, all unavoidable, and all a consequence of his actions. He'd been the one who'd gotten Sjira killed, so why wouldn't they end up the same?

'Your fault,' that loathsome, accusatory hiss echoed in his mind. 'They're going to die because of you.'

Casmir grit his teeth, his body tensing. Before he could act, however, there was a heavy THUMP! followed by the clink of metal, like a latch being pulled back. The Hunter turned in the direction of the sound, distracted. “What was that?”

Ari, however, had apparently grown impatient, sneaking up to the Hunter and snatching the lantern while Casmir was distracted. Just like human had, he quickly lit the other four candles, each tongue of flame a different color. Casmir turned to reprimand the boy, only to stop as Ari deftly moved the candles, swapping each so that the correct light sat under its corresponding gemstone. The others watched as the tongues of flame crackled and blazed upwards, shining like beacons, before snuffing themselves out, a bright, clear crystal glimmering in the empty space.

Casmir, feeling disgusted with himself and his pathetic self-absorbed paralysis, gestured for the catling to take the crystal. “Go on, then. I think you earned it.” He turned to follow after Moana as the Polynesian made her way over to a secret door, the woman having a similar line of thought he did in regards to potential company.

“How do we open this?” she asked, trying to find a seam, latch, or other means of opening the sealed portal. “We don't want to be stuck in here...”

“We're not,” Casmir replied, frowning over at the north and south sides of the room where a pair of doors he hadn't noticed were now standing slightly ajar. “The air's different- those doors are open, now. However...” he turned to the sealed door again with a frown, swearing he could hear something past the wall. It sounded vaguely like... Latin? He'd need to get closer before he could make it out properly. “Do we go through the open doors, or try to open this one?” he asked, looking around at the others. "I'm with Moana's idea to bar it, but we may not have the means to..." Time was certainly an issue, but there might be something behind this door worth looking into. Then again, given that sound of metal he heard a moment ago, it might just lead to another trap, or something worse...