Plot Master 0 Posted November 28, 2021 Author #81 Share Posted November 28, 2021 By the time the last Player reached the tenth floor landing, there was little room to spare. Packed like sardines, more than a few tried (unsuccessfully) to enter the locked door. The handle was jiggled, and bodies were thrown against the sturdy wood, but the door would not budge. What did budge, however, was the floor beneath the Players' feet. Without warning, the landing gave way, unceremoniously dumping the players into a wide chute of sorts. They tumbled for a few seconds, then after a brief free-fall, landed atop an enormous, square slab. The surface was mirror-smooth, save for a few scattered runes and etchings. It gleamed like gold in the dim light, which filtered through a hole some fifty feet above. Dangling from that square opening was a rope ladder, which came to rest about six feet above the center of the slab. If the escape hatch above was Heaven, the pit below was Hell. Also fifty feet away, the stone floor held nothing soft to cushion the inevitable falls. It did, however, offer a crudely made set of stairs, wrapping around the outer edge of the square chamber. The walls of the room extended far past the bounds of the slab, but Players who ascended the stairs could reach a platform just below the chute's opening. While venturing back up it would prove impossible (and largely pointless), a well-timed jump could land Players back on the slab for a second (or third) attempt at reaching the ladder. Would the Players manage to find their balance through teamwork, careful planning, and perfect execution? North Corner: 0/50 East Corner: 0/50 South Corner: 0/50 West Corner: 0/50 Round Five: Tightrope Keep all four corners of the slab even. Get everyone up the dangling rope ladder. Roll at least 50 LD for each corner, and succeed in keeping each within 10 LD of the others. Spoiler Similar to round three, but this time, you must keep the LDs within 10 throughout. Players do not need to specify in their roll reason which corner they are rolling for. They do, however, need to make it clear in their post which corner their LD total is going toward (if any). For example, Player puts "Ladonian Rebellion - Round Five" as roll reason, and rolls a 6. Current LD numbers are N: 10, E: 15, S: 17, and W: 20. As only the North corner would work (without violating the +/- 10 rule), the roll would be applied there. Player specifies the roll is going toward the North corner, and adjusts totals accordingly. Should a Player make a roll that does not fit, they will be thrown from the slab, and fall approximately fifty feet to the stone ground below. You will take no damage, but you will be forced to climb the stairs back up the platform, then launch yourself onto the slab to try again. You may exceed 50 LD, but you must still remain within 10 of the others. At any point on a successful roll, you may write that your character has climbed the rope ladder and exited through the hole in the ceiling. Once you do so, you may not post this round unless you describe them descending again. If you need a visual guide, watch this. Please direct all questions to Lessa! Link to post Share on other sites
Krysta 0 Posted November 28, 2021 #82 Share Posted November 28, 2021 (edited) The door remained unmoved, regardless of all that the swarm of players had tried. Before Krysta could suggest anything else, however, the floor suddenly gave way. Thank goodness Krysta was wearing tights under her battledress. This had been the second time she had been dropped into a new problem,and it was certainly...the Cardinal's fault this time. Krysta took a look at her surroundings, trying to find a way around all of this. A long way up, and also a long way down. A single rope ladder, and nothing very damaging below, aside from what it seemed the fall might bring. It would seem that a trap had sprung. The slab began to move erratically, and Krysta realized what was going on here. "Everyone move!" Krysta called out. "We need to distribute ourselves around the corners, lest we all fall further!" With that, she made her way over to one corner, though almost fell as she'd barely held her footing. She was at the edge of the corner now, but it would seem that others were already choosing the same corner as she did as the others simply scrambled around the slab. "W-wait!! Evenly! EVENLY!!! Wh-whoa-whoa-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGHHH!!!!!!!" Perhaps keeping the players organized enough for proper teamwork would prove more difficult than Krysta expected, for she'd fallen further anyway. Perhaps that blasted Tyrant had something to do with the chaos that led to Krysta's fall. ID# 202332 LD: 18(Too high! Krysta falls!) North Corner: 0/50 East Corner: 0/50 South Corner: 0/50 West Corner: 0/50 Edited November 28, 2021 by Krysta Link to post Share on other sites
Alkor 0 Posted November 28, 2021 #83 Share Posted November 28, 2021 (edited) "N-no, please, I don't know anything, I swear it!" the guard bleated as Alkor held him at blade point. The swordsman wore a dispassionate mask toward the man, hopeful that it would spur a more favorable response, but as the pleading continued he realized that the man truly had nothing worthwhile to give. He withdrew his weapon to the sounds of relief and overwhelming joy, but Alkor sheathed his weapon without looking back to the guard or acknowledging him at all. "I... wait... wait!" Alkor closed his eyes as he started down the path that the other Players had taken. Behind him, the downtrodden people of Ladonia closed in around the guard he had spared, and as the Swordsman ascended the stairs, he was haunted by the inhuman shrieking that echoed through the halls of the tower. There is no such thing as innocence. Only varying degrees of guilt. Those words hung over him as he scaled the tower and finally regrouped on the tenth floor landing with the others. If one could call it 'regrouping.' The moment he did, what Alkor found was uneven footing that would reward a misstep with frustration. It was a puzzle meant to stall them. The Imperator had told no one of his plans, but he had taken measures like this. He was King who lacked for trust, even in his own men. What a lonely existence. Though perhaps a lack of trust was not so uncommon. He saw the same sentiment reflected in the way so many people clambered about the platform, undirected and lacking in communication. Instead of rushing forward, Alkor waited and watched. Maybe, given a few moments more, they would start to come together and the pieces would fall into place. Maybe. Or maybe they would brute force it, just like everything they'd done up to now. Would that brutish and untamed method bear them to victory and quest completion? ID: 202343 LD: 19 North Corner: 0/50 East Corner: 0/50 South Corner: 0/50 West Corner: 0/50 Spoiler All the big numbers when we don't want them. Edited November 28, 2021 by Alkor Link to post Share on other sites
Lilik 0 Posted November 28, 2021 #84 Share Posted November 28, 2021 Akin to a lost sock in a dryer, Lilik tumbled ass over tea kettle. Even before she splatted on the ground, her amber eyes were already firing manically. She spluttered as she found her feet. Her mouth filled with her all-time favorite phrase. "What the fu-" With a gasp, the lanky woman stumbled to the side, arms pinwheeling comically. She tripped over her own feet as the world shifted, and without any obvious handholds, Lilik was yeeted into the abyss. Amid the free-fall, her final thought was "I can't believe I'm going to die this way." Yet as she splatted for a second time, she took no more damage than before. In fact, she hadn't lost a single sliver of her health bar since accepting the cryptic quest from Cardinal. In any other situation, that thought would have intrigued her, and perhaps motivated her to take further risks. But in the moment, she was just pretty annoyed about ending up in some kind of pit. Lilik climbed to her feet. Then, planting her balled-up fists in the small of her back, she stretched dramatically. "That really sucked," she declared cheerfully. ID: 202359 LD: 12 North Corner: 0/50 East Corner: 0/50 South Corner: 0/50 West Corner: 0/50 Link to post Share on other sites
Jomei 0 Posted November 30, 2021 #85 Share Posted November 30, 2021 (edited) Jomei Stats and Equipment: Spoiler Jomei Level: 31 | Paragon: 50 | Tier: 4 | HP: 820| EN: 120 Equipment Nihilim's Wrath: AbsA | Bleen | Fallen Vestige of St.Patrick: Holy B| Mit | EVA | EVA Alatreon's Will: ACC | ACC | ACC Rending Familiar: Adere Skills / Mods / Addons Saber R5 | TECH Spec. Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energist Fighting Spirit MA R2 Combat Mastery DMG R3 Concentration Survival Meditation Parry --------- Athletics --------- Stamina Ferocity Precision Nimble From under the shadow of a dark, green hood, olive eyes watched the flying vessel depart from the docks towards the tower that pierced the clouds of the twenty-sixth floor. The player huffs a sigh through his nostrils.. annoyed at himself for dragging behind. As if that wasn't a metaphor for his life for the past few weeks.. months.. however long it had been. A bump to the shoulder from one of the NPCs that made up the crowd brought his gaze back to the rebellion at hand. He stood motionless, like a grounded stone in the middle of a flowing river, as angered Ladonians and refugees passed by him with purpose. Their destination the same as the passengers of the air ship: The Central Tower. Hood pulled up over his head, Jomei merged into the crowd as they marched through the streets of Ladonia. In all honesty, their plight was unknown to Jomei.. and for once in his life, he didn't care. After his splitting with his fiancée, Aincrad just became what it was meant to be for him once again, a game, and this was just another quest to be completed. Hell, he didn't care about the items, if he was being honest with himself, he just needed to brush off the cobwebs and do something to distract himself. After a long, mostly straight trek, the crowd dispersed amongst the grand lawn of the central tower where they were making their voices heard loud and clear. It seemed the players, too, had voices that they wanted to be heard... somehow 100 decibels above the already shouting voices of the rebellious folk. Jomei let out a small sigh before pushing through the crowd towards the front, where the players were already barreling past the guard and through the door. The quick ginger snuck by the guards keeping the raging crowd at bay, and hurried after the players. As he finally reached the landing of the tenth floor, he found no one. Taking a quick gander at his surroundings, he decided to try the door right before him.. that was a mistake. His olive eyes widened as he no longer felt the floor beneath his feet. His body tumbled for a short while before he corrected himself and evened out his sliding. With a turn of his body as he fell from the chute, Jomei hit the ground with a roll. Quickly picking himself up to his feet, the uneasy ground beneath him caused him to loose his footing. Attempting to balance himself, he moved towards the Eastern corner of the square, but his heel slipped over the edge as he moved to turn towards the others. "Son of a-" he was falling, once again, much further this time and with no slides to make it any easier. His shoulder crashed into the ground with a thud.. luckily no damage or paid, thanks to the Cardinal system. He looked around to any others at the bottom of the pit with him, "Well.. definitely wasn't expecting this." ID 202506 | LD 12 North Corner: 0/50 East Corner: 0/50 South Corner: 0/50 West Corner: 0/50 Edited November 30, 2021 by Jomei Link to post Share on other sites
Plini 0 Posted December 1, 2021 #86 Share Posted December 1, 2021 Too chaotic, too many questionable acts, too quick of a turn He successfully catched up with Nian, they were so close to reaching their destination, even Krysta went ahead of them but that wasn't a good way of thinking "this looks straight forward" he thought. It looked like they were being bottlenecked and he was too slow to realize it "the target will just slip out of this place ala James Bond villain while we" fall Straight out of a classic movie. The place where they were as soon as the others managed to join the crazy party collapsed. where they stood, where they are wanting to reach was only aa good spot for getting them all in one place. Plini scowled, filled with disappointment to himself. He was busy keeping up with Nian that he forgot an arbiter's job. The whole floor gave way, downwards. No spiraling or turning just a good ol "fall down to your demise" and he also quickly fell on his knee, trying to balance himself and as soon as it stopped he was already in a good position to assess his situation. He heard the blonde girl say about "actually you only fall if you don't move in a good corner and-" before he could tell her, @Krysta already fell down to which he shook his head. He saw a guy who seemed like the most sensible person he saw along the way and then a woman, she looked liked his type but he would rather spend most of his faculties on making sure he doesn't fall. Another new face even appeared, this person must've concealed his presence and snuck in when the opportunity appeared yet the place where he landed pulled a sneaky on him. "Milord, try to keep your balance, this one will be a bitch to deal with." He said, hoping that @Nian would hear him quick ID: 202729 | LD: 3 North Corner: 0/50 East Corner: 3/50 South Corner: 0/50 West Corner: 0/50 Link to post Share on other sites
Alkor 0 Posted December 2, 2021 #87 Share Posted December 2, 2021 (edited) He watched passively as the others rushed at the obstacle before them intent on playing along with the balancing act, but the devious attempt at stalling the group only made Alkor more suspicious. Of course, they could eventually solve the puzzle laid out for them, but at the sacrifice of efficient time. Their most precious resource, and most scarce, he needed to find an answer to this question that afforded them as much as possible. And so, the direct approach seemed the least likely to yield the desired result. Balanced, there would be a path forward... but there had to be something they weren't seeing. Something that made this feasible for the Imperator to skip the frivolous game he'd laid out for them to play. Cardinal was straightforward in that it followed the designs of its of designs faithfully. That meant the Imperator could be relied on to be devious. A trait that, because of a nature beyond his control or understanding, worked in the favor of the Players. But would anyone else see that? He glanced around at the others, certain that if they had the same revelation, no one had spoken up. Alkor looked along the walls that he could see in search of any sign of tampering or difference in pattern that might hint at a hidden path. ID: 202737 LD: 20 North Corner: 0/50 East Corner: 3/50 South Corner: 0/50 West Corner: 0/50 Edited December 5, 2021 by Alkor Link to post Share on other sites
Krysta 0 Posted December 3, 2021 #88 Share Posted December 3, 2021 (edited) Only the unexpected seemed to happen from here. Several players fell down after Krysta, including one who she did not recognize from the other players she'd encountered. It was as if there were more and more of them on their way, not that it was a bad thing...hopefully these newcomers were not followers of the Tyrant who Krysta had been quarreling with numerous times so far. "I find this scenario to be unexpected as well." Krysta said in response to the newcomer's remark. She then looked up to the slab, it would be some time to climb back up. "Well, we mustn't stand around doing nothing, we haven't a moment to lose!" Krysta began her way up the steps, and witnessed another player stumble once more from the slab. Once Krysta reached the slab, she saw that there was one player in position, and Krysta chose to take position on the opposite side for the sake of balance. Whoever her future opponent was, it was likely that this one was clever, to have devised a trap like this... "There has to be another way to go about this..." Krysta thought. "There has to be." ID# 202739 LD: 2 North Corner: 0/50 East Corner: 3/50 South Corner: 0/50 West Corner: 2/50 Edited December 5, 2021 by Krysta Link to post Share on other sites
Celeste 1 Posted December 3, 2021 #89 Share Posted December 3, 2021 The roar of footfalls bleeds into the chamber, watching as players one by one continue to drop into a pit. Her eyes trail upward, catching the lingering remnants of some sort of latter dangling and waving. Her eyes advance low, and find the bottom of that trap. "In." Celeste barks, grabbing the bit of cloth adorning a shoulder. With reluctance at first, one of townsfolk who were so determined in their mutiny. Reaching for smooth sides and sliding down before his feet plant solid. Pooling one after another, as Celeste jumps down. She glances up at this platform as it sways. The cogs spin in her head as stares up at this slab of metal teetering on a wedge. A damn game. She ushers that first and gets him to place his hands against that wedge "Got it? Next!" Celeste starts to direct them one after another using her hand as a place to step, feet to the next shoulders forming a human ladder. "Ready?" As they reach the base of that slab and is offered "For what!?", Celeste starts to clamber to the top. "I suggest you get down." @Plini the thing begins to scream and bend as her eyes flare red. It was on there pretty damn taught, but Celeste was basically a damn gravity engine. The metal bends and eventually... *Snap* A harsh grinding as it slides toward one side, falling with a heavy chain of slams. It was as if someone had taken the floor and moved it elsewhere. Eyes correct and latch to that dangling rope ladder. Anchoring her boot on some poor NPC's face, the girl lunges and... ID:202750 | Battle:8, Craft:5, Loot:15 (Accuracy vs. Ladder) Grabs on to the lowest most rung, sending it into a bend and sway. Her legs go through the second to last loop, before she hangs from it like an ape on a branch. "Player's first, I ain't having you all leap right into a damn battalion. At least they can handle themselves." As another farmer reaches his hand out to clutch hers. It lowers and they look down to the others. Once they'd see their way out, the first villager would attempt the same. But some barrier refused to allow him passage, staring up with her hair drifting away from her legs via gravity. Her eyebrow perks up, glancing at him. "Guess this is where we separate, I ain't leaving these yahoos to fend for themselves. If the king is up there, fuck him up for me. I am staying back here to make sure these idiots don't get themselves killed." Her heels disconnect from that rope ladder, and with a solid superhero landing, she blasts ass through that locked door with a surprising amount of force and a few skills mixed in a sword art for good measure. "Come on, fuckers, we're finding another way through." As she plants her knees on the rim and starts to help them out of the pit. *Celeste leaves to lead the rebellion* Link to post Share on other sites
Lium 1 Posted December 3, 2021 #90 Share Posted December 3, 2021 (edited) Watching players climb up Celeste to get up that ladder, she glances to Lium for a split second. Lium simply shakes his head, this girl has made a decision. Now that the girl had an idea what she wanted to do, he was glad that he wasn't going to have to find another way out with these bafoons by himself. From events that had transpired it that near past for him, he would have refused to leave any one of these people behind. Whether they were people or NPC's, they were mostly all alike. Gathering the young folks and the adults around as he follows Celeste. "It's about damn time, you do realize that by the time we get up there the treasure, if there was any in the first place, is going to be gone. There is no chance in hell that they would leave anything for us. I am proud of you Cel..." Watching the group carefully for anything that could help them get out of here safely with this group that they formed on their own. *Lium leaves to help lead the rebellion* Edited December 3, 2021 by Lium 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Plot Master 0 Posted December 3, 2021 Author #91 Share Posted December 3, 2021 When Razwell had designed this prison, he had never imagined a scene such as this. Bodies spilling from the tenth floor shoot, piling atop each other to create the most literal of human pyramids. Cries for freedom, for justice, for revolution, still filled the space, as did groans and grunts from pinched skin, crushed toes, and boots to faces. A bit like zombies clambering for brains, NPCs and Players alike scrambled for the dangling rope ladder. When it became evident that the way forward held no place for NPCs, anxious murmuring joined the cacophony. As men and women began to push and shove, one individual found himself spat out of the crowd. Stumbling over his thick-soled work boots, he tumbled backward, and slammed hard into the nearby rock wall. To his surprise, the jagged surface gave way, and he fell further still, spilling out onto shining white marble. When Razwell had designed this prison, he had assumed he would never traverse the slab himself. But on the off-chance he found himself locked inside, he built himself an escape route. Round Five (B): Pyramid Climb the broken slab and the pile of NPCs to access the rope ladder, then exit through the hatch. Post before 11:59 PM EST on Saturday, December 4th. Spoiler Celeste has broken the balance slab, and piled NPCs atop each other to reach the rope ladder. This has bypassed existing mechanic requirements. The sixth round will begin, automatically, at the deadline. A door has also now opened at the bottom of the room, leading back to a hallway on the sixth floor. Should your Player decide to stop the climb and interact with the rebellion, you may exit now, and continue your story in another thread. You will receive all rewards earned up to this point. NPCs may go no further up the tower. Everything beyond this is quest-specific, and only accessible to Players. Link to post Share on other sites
Jomei 0 Posted December 4, 2021 #92 Share Posted December 4, 2021 Jomei first heard the shouts echoing from high above him, shouts of justice and rebellion. As he looked up towards the source, his olive eyes went wide with shock as, suddenly, it began literally raining bodies. Scrambling to his feet, Jomei barely dove out of the way before the NPCs came crashing down.. all of them experiencing the pain the the players were able to avoid them. Atop the writhing pyramid, a player, quite obviously the one behind the NPCs sudden drop. Using brute strength, she managed to push the stone slab off of its balancing spike. From there, it was much somehow simpler to launch herself to the rope ladder. ”That seems… oddly easier.” He says with a pinched brow. Using the nimbleness and agility granted by his skill mode, Jomei climbs the bodies of NPCs still holding up their formation, apologizing to a few along the way. Once at the top, he grabs hold of the rope ladder with one hand, reaching down with the other. “Come on, I can help getting everyone up.” Jomei stays at the bottom of the landed to help everyone up before following up last Link to post Share on other sites
Alkor 0 Posted December 5, 2021 #93 Share Posted December 5, 2021 Alkor glanced toward the newly found exit, biting his lip. There it was- a fiendishly designed path, but perhaps not the sort that he was looking for. What he had not expected was for the Players to create their own makeshift pathway to ascension, on the literal backs of NPCs. With a sigh at the foreboding nature of Celeste's brusque response to Cardinal's challenge, he quietly clambered up to the rope ladder and climbed, quickly so as to be certain that he would trod as little as possible on the others. There was a certain necessity in it, but he was loathe to treat anyone as pawns, digital or otherwise. It seemed that while they had the same frustrations about time, the impetus that drove some of the other Players was lining their pockets. Loot, spoils, col- whatever it was that they sought, they cared little for further progression and found the quickest possible path for their own gain. Meanwhile, whatever possible outcome this sudden event might have if they reached the pinnacle would be lost to them. For Alkor, it was a matter of routing the machinations of Razwell before they had time to bear fruit. If there were more destruction waiting in the wings, he wanted to find and neutralize the possibility before any more death could occur. NPC, or perhaps even worse. He clambered up the rope ladder and found himself at the top. Alkor climbs to the next level. Link to post Share on other sites
Krysta 0 Posted December 5, 2021 #94 Share Posted December 5, 2021 Just when she thought she was out of ideas, Krysta would witness one of the oddest sights she'd see on this day. The redheaded player had rallied NPCs from outside, all of whom were following her at that moment. Krysta did her best to try and jump back to the steps when she saw what was about to happen, but it came sooner than she had thought. Once again, she was falling. She got up to see that the NPCs were practically spilling down and all around the pit, forming themselves into a literal pyramid of people. Krysta still preferred to take the steps, but when she reached the upper end of those steps, it would seem that the mass of people would still be the only way forward. Krysta did not like the idea of stepping on other people, physically or economically, so of course she would be reluctant to such a course of action as this. Some of the NPCs looked to Krysta, noticing her hesitation. "What are you waiting for? Come on!" An NPC called out. "I do not like the idea of stepping on innocent people to get ahead." Krysta replied. "Then jump, we'll catch you and help you up!" Came the response. Oh, the dilemma... Krysta could indeed jump, but she'd have to be careful not to land her feet upon one's face if she did so. On top of that, she knew very little on what the general populace of the floor was like, despite that these individuals were rebelling against the current leadership...so she didn't want them to get any ideas as to where they catch and grab hold of her... In the end, she hesitantly flung herself toward the NPCs...backwards. The NPCs would help her up towards the newcomer player in the scene, who would assist Krysta in climbing up to the area above. When the red haired player realized that the players would have to separate from the NPCs in order to progress further, she chose to stay behind and help the NPCs through. "We shall do our best, we will not let you down." Krysta said, and with a smile, she added, "Thank you for the help you've given us, all of you!" Krysta ascends to the next level. Link to post Share on other sites
Plot Master 0 Posted December 8, 2021 Author #95 Share Posted December 8, 2021 Amid the panicked cries of NPCs, the final Player climbed through the hole in the ceiling. From fifty feet up, the men and women of the Ladonian Rebellion seemed to melt together, their bodies forming a single, hellish creature. Only after they had begun to file out did the design on the tipped slab's surface come into view. Etched into the gleaming gold was a sun, akin to something one might find carved into a Mayan temple. With only seconds to glimpse the strange symbol, the hatch slammed closed entirely on its own. The Players found themselves in a room that could not have been more different from what they had left. The cozy study stood in sharp contrast to the massive, dark cavern. The walls pressed in closer, built in a way to hide the tower's enormous size. Light shone through stained glass windows, a kaleidoscope of color that danced across a massive oak desk. The sunlight, impossible in the middle of the windowless upper tower, filled the small space with comfort and warmth. Equally impossible was the fire, which crackled away merrily in the hearth. It gave off no smoke, produced no soot, and seemed to simply dance along the edge of pristine logs. Shelves lined the wall opposite the fireplace, crammed with books and dust-catchers of various shapes and sizes. Overstuffed arm chairs, plump pillows, and wooden chests lobbied for space in the crowded room. Flowers climbed the wallpaper, and bloomed across the ornate rug in the center of the study. Ten feet overhead, in a small alcove painted like the night sky, four empty locks stood ringed by a full moon. Round Six: All Is Not Lost Locate the four missing keys, and use them in the locks in the ceiling. Roll an even number on the LD to locate a key. Use a post action to put the key in the lock. Spoiler Four locks are positioned in the ceiling, approximately ten feet off the ground. Search the room for the keys. A key must be located before it can be used in a lock. A different person may use the key if the finder gives it to them in their (the finder's) post. To search for a key, state "Searching for Key" (or something similar) in the roll reason. If it is found, please assign the key a number (1, 2, 3, 4 - in the order it is located), to help keep things organized. A post action is required to use the key. All keys and locks are identical, but all four must be in place before the round can continue. Link to post Share on other sites
Jomei 0 Posted December 8, 2021 #96 Share Posted December 8, 2021 (edited) Following up behind the last of the players, Jomei climbed the rope ladder up. He took one last glance down at the NPCs that had been thrown into the pit as a way to help the players and bypass the teetering pedestal. With a sigh, Jomei continues up the ladder. Eventually, they find themselves in a lavish room, a study of sorts. For the amount of players in here, it was a bit cramped.. but at least there was no immediate danger they all needed to team up to conquer. However... a means of proceeding to the next level was not prevalent. Glancing upward, Jomei noticed a small alcove with various locks lining it. Suddenly, this study turned into some sort of escape room the lot would need to find a way out of. Locks meant keys.. and there were four meant to be found. Returning his gaze to the room at hand, the ginger began looking around, "Look up there. Seems like our only way out, and its locked. See if you can find any keys." Jomei began to pull books out of the bookshelf, giving them a quick shake to see if any keys clattered to the floor. After checking about 10.. maybe 15 books, the ginger gave it a rest and decided to look elsewhere. ID 22771 | LD 15 No key found Edited December 8, 2021 by Jomei Link to post Share on other sites
Krysta 0 Posted December 8, 2021 #97 Share Posted December 8, 2021 (edited) A rather lavish study was the room the players had now found themselves in. Looking above, there were keyholes that probably blocked the way forward...or, more accurately, upward. If there were keyholes, there had to be a set of keys somewhere... As long as whoever was in charge of the tower leaves the keys in this room instead of always carrying them, the players had a way through...all Krysta would need was evidence that there was a key around, if not a key itself. The ginger newcomer would speak up the problem for anyone who wasn't looking in every direction for the only way up, and thus the players began searching for the keys. With all the floral overgrowth around the walls, it might be good to check that, just in case it happened to grow around a key. After rummaging through and frisking the foliage, it would seem that the growths had not caught a key. "Well, who would hide a key where even a plant would catch it, anyway?" Krysta thought, rethinking her current course of action. ID# 202774 LD: 13(nothing found) Edited December 8, 2021 by Krysta Link to post Share on other sites
Nian 0 Posted December 8, 2021 #98 Share Posted December 8, 2021 -- And had there been a crater that threatened to swallow the players, surely the king would lie unaware of the danger she had personally been placed in. Because a little fall was of no consequence to the royal, the ruler. Instead, it was the world to the onset of castle guards that had flooded the hallway she'd taken them into. And she'd have to thank her arbiter for that. "This looks straight-forward. The target will just slip out of this place ala James Bond villain while we?" Plini fell, like the target he'd surmised. And Nian almost halted herself, half working into a guffaw, had the effects of that sink-hole not made themselves immediately available to her in the seconds afterwards. All at once, the crowd of chasers broke empty, and what scattered few at the front and the back of the herd had failed to continue their pursuit, distracted by the howls of their comrades. Each of them turned to look towards the darkness that almost, just barely failed to swallow them whole. With two metal palms to strike the ground, Nian made sure the pit's work wasn't in vain. A shockwave, powerful enough to unsettle the edged participants over the brink. Before the rest of the guards had regained their awareness for the castle criminal, their new emperor had already knocked them downwards, pushed them into their holding cell. Charged with treachery. Where her claws were too much to pick off the sentries, a quick sweep of her legs and a foot to their chest was enough to send their forms into the unforgiving abyss. Perhaps, this too was 'James Bond'-like. Though, the woman didn't know who this mythical figure of mention was. When only a handful were left, a number sufficient enough to count on one's fingers, the emperor wondered at the silence beyond the walls she made sure to seclude herself within. Surely the people hungry to toss their leader off the throne would've been noisier than this. And, just to satiate a biting curiosity, she believed she should figure what happened to that right-hand man of hers. One scoff, and a shoulder-shove of another figure into the pit. She leapt down after it, sticking close to the edges of their descent. For a moment, the person was there, and the next that jet sea swallowed them up. Claws worked their magic, between the echoing of that horrible, ear-piercing sound of edge on plane, metal on rusted plates, slowing the ruler's fall from what only serfs and cops had to feel, the unlucky bunch. And when some light returned to her vision, Nian spying a number of colors amidst the grey dark, she was quicker to cling to the walls and pay attention to what her objective might be. A persons-pyramid. The top figure reaching for something in the wall, from an angle she couldn't see. And Heaven's chosen put all her bets in that leap of faith, slinging herself into that gap where she believed one to be, once she was within two feet of appearance to the pyramid staff. Wordless and graceful, with all the confidence of a wildcat, she slunk into a room brighter and well furnished than what could've been in that hollow pit below. Had Nian be one to question the sequence of events leading her up to this space, this point in time, she would not have stayed quiet in her recognition of everybody from before, especially that dumb blonde from earlier, and Plini found safe and sound in these cushy quarters. Rather, the only realization to push her into a growl was finding something harsh stuck to the joints of one of her claws. One arm vanished just to yank out the interloper, and it fell to the carpet, bouncing upon the feet of some player else. A key. Not that Nian was going to bother with it. ID202775 | LD18 | keyblade master. (#1) Passing it over to @Lilik. Link to post Share on other sites
Plini 0 Posted December 8, 2021 #99 Share Posted December 8, 2021 Everything played out like a movie in front of his eyes. Something one would see in a movie about rebellion.. oh wait they are now part of the rebellion. He watched as Celeste and some NPCs entered, still no sign of where @Nian is, perhaps she was something within the NPCs shoving them away. He watched, kept a stable footing, looked at the people scrambling. "What is even happening?" he asked himself. He was expecting a much more historical shit to happen in this rebellion despite the existence of airships. Plini darted, making quick progress of climbing up so his weight wouldn't burden the people he's using to climb and finally reach a rope to climb further. He was greeted by a room It looked quite different, the chaos outside was the opposite of what the room was, It looked crammed yet it was organized. "What are we looking for milord?" he asked as he saw her upon turning his attention to the people who are with him. @Krysta found nothing yet Nian did "why a key?" he asked. Perhaps there were obvious answers but Plini wanted assurance, he looked around, looking at every book in the shelves, eyes darting to anything in it "this looks like a place to lock someone in or hide something" he uttered, still looking. The slab, rope, and how the place was high enough to look like they are bottlenecked was starting to add up. "A very important person, someone they wanted to rid off yet felt like something bad will happen if they do it on a whim or some studies that might come in handy in the future. I still need clay for bricks." ID: 202776 | LD: 17 [no key] Link to post Share on other sites
Alkor 0 Posted December 9, 2021 #100 Share Posted December 9, 2021 (edited) He was at a loss. For all the possible places for them to end up after the last room, the one they found was quaint by comparison. Beautiful and quiet in contrast to the disharmony outside its walls, the problem it posed was that it now served as a makeshift prison. The only obvious exit was the way they had come. More obvious than that however, was the certainty that it was no option at all. There were keyholes, made apparent not only by a cursory sweep of the room, but the observation of another Player who Alkor did not know. They needed to find keys, then. Instead of wasting his time consulting with the others about it, he set immediately to work. Finding something was well within his skillset. The conversation that followed was better left to the others. Alkor hurried over toward one of the stained glass window and rifled about through a nearby bookshelf, peeling its contents free and skimming through pages of dusty, ancient tomes. A false page, perhaps, or something wedged behind the spine? Ah- it seemed less convoluted even than that, because no sooner did he pry free a third book than did a key tumble from the shelf and land on the floor at his feet. He knelt and lifted it up, appraised it, and held it for the others to see. ID: 202777 LD: 18 Keeper of the Keys! (#2) Alkor gives Jomei the key. Edited December 14, 2021 by Alkor Link to post Share on other sites
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