[F28-EV] Everyone Hail to the Pumpkin King

[Jomei 0]

//October 31st \ Floor 28: The Fire Forest

Bonfires burning bright. Pumpkin faces in the night. I remember Halloween
Brown leafed vertigo. Where skeletal life is known. I remember Halloween

***

Leaves as red as flame crunch beneath boots as wanderers follow the scattered trail of illuminated faces. Pumpkins carved with frightening expressions watch from the trees above, sitting along branches and providing some of the only light to guide aspiring trick-or-treaters through the dark forest. The bones of skeletons that hung down from those same tree limbs rattled as the chilling, autumn breeze passed through their ribcages. Staring at the gaping, toothy jaw of those skulls.. one could swear they hear the echoes of their final screams.. but maybe its just the wind. 

Maybe..

Lurking within the light of the moon that permeates the floors of castle Aincrad, a large dwelling awaits any who dare approach. The house appears in shambles, overgrown grass surrounding the foundation, dried vines climbing the wooden paneling and creating a web like pattern over windows. The entire place seems abandoned, and the lack of any signage or bowls of candy may turn away anyone hoping to retrieve a sweet treat from the owner.

But the open doorway, its hinges creaking as the gentle breeze pushes it open more and more is quite inviting - especially for any thrill seekers. 

Will you enter?

Spoiler

The living space you first enter into seems that it has not been lived in for ages. White sheets - more gray as dust collected on them - covered most of the furniture: couches, chairs, coffee tables. Some pictures on the wall remain, artistic interpretations of a family living on their homestead.. though something seems eerily off with each picture; a toddler on a rocking horse with their face blurred out, a young couple standing in the front door to their house, a tall shadow figure lurking in the window, and similar images. Every other door on the first floor is closed, locked. You could swear if you put your ear to the door, you could hear whispering.. and the occasional banshee screech that makes your hair stand on end. 

With only one path to follow, you take the winding stairs up into the tower. 

From the base of the staircase, you can hear the soft, haunting sound of a bow across the strings of a slightly out of tune violin - both beautiful and haunting. Each step creaks beneath your weight as you ascend the tower, the music becoming louder, and faster, the higher you climb.

Finally, you emerge into a dark study. Books tightly and haphazardly tucked into shelves that line the entire wall all the way up to the ceiling past a 'second floor' balcony. The curtains of a large window are opened slightly, just enough to allow a sliver of the moons light to enter and reveal a writing desk on the opposite side of the room.. an overturned chair before it. The occasional drip of something liquid coming from the desk, an overturned inkwell who's contents were spilling onto the floor. 

And where the ink puddled, what appears to be a body laying limp and lifeless.

SCREEECH

From the balcony above stands a figure, playing a sickening note on their violin. Dropping the instrument to their side, they would place two clawed hands on the banister, looking down at any and all who entered. Wearing darkened amor, a long cape, and a pumpkin with flaming eyes, the figure would draw a long blade from their hip. Pointing it upwards towards a dark orb that hung suspended in the center of the ceiling, the room would flash with a burst of light, causing any to look in its direction to shield themselves or avert their eyes. 

Slowly, the pumpkin-headed figure would lower their sword to point at the players - no, at something behind them: The writing desk, more specifically, the note left behind. 

Trick or Treat 
Happy Halloween

Now that the room was illuminated with a warm light, it was obvious that the body at their feet was none other than pillows shoved into familiar green garb. After laughing within his large, pumpkin guise for a moment, the figure removed their helmet to reveal a head of messy ginger hair and a beaming grin.

  

Jomei the emerald duelist

Spoiler notes Level: 35 | Paragon: 93 | Tier: 4(13)  Jomei | HP: 1060/1060 | EN: 144/144 | DMG: 21 | MIT:44 | ACC:4 | AA  | F-SPIRIT | EVA:3 | BH:58 | HB: 23 | FLN: 16 | HLY: 8 | LD:5 Equipment: Vicious Mockery : ACC II | Taunt | Blight  Fencer's Regalia - Trepidation: Vamp D II | HB | MIT  Token of Serenity: HB| EVA III   equipped Vicious Mockery Fencer's Regalia - Trepidation Token of Serenity battle-ready inventory Listed Below skills Spoiler Skills Rapier R5 | TECH Spec. Combat Mastery DMG R3 Cloth Armor R5 Charge B Healing R5 Energis Howl Fighting Spirit Quick Change Extended Weight Limit Searching R4 Extra: Concentration Survival   Parry Forgotten King's Authority Assault Mode  Lady Luck Meditation Mods Athletics Emergency Recovery Vengeful Riposte Justified Riposte Night Vision Addons Stamina  Focus Precision Nimble Focused Howl buffs Spoiler Buffs Dimensional Backpack +1 BRI slot Well Rested: -1 energy cost for the first three expenditures of each combat     Squeaky Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 25% (rounded down)     Tasty: Turn 2 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Lesser Feast. Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts. Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.  Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll Item Stash: +1 BRI slot Advanced Training: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

 

 

Edited Thursday at 01:23 AM by Jomei

[Acanthus 0]

We’re still safe. We’re still safe. Acanthus tested the comforting words every few minutes with a quick check of her menu. The map indicated they were going to the right place. The next house was not in a safe zone. But neither was hers, and it had never made her nervous before. Whatever was going on here did not feel very safe.

Jomei’s (slash whoever put this event on IC) instructions led them to a long-abandoned house on the otherwise restful 28th floor. But the sun had started to set, and wind stirred the fiery leaves into flames that licked at her feet. Faces from the trees offered their final thoughts through nearly inaudible rasps.

“You know it’s all just a haunted house setup, right?” 3ulogy kicked up some of the red leaves as he walked towards the house. “You’re getting scared over nothing.”

“I’m not getting scared. I’m just cautious. It’s how I stayed alive this long.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Acanthus. I’m here too, but you don’t see me opening my menu every two minutes like a noob.” 3ulogy used his free hand to open the door the rest of the way. A blast of cold air threw his feathers back. 3ulogy paused. “... That was a neat trick, though.”

“... Are you sure this is a trick?” Acanthus stepped around 3ulogy to enter the house. Sheets in the front room gathered layers of dust. Furniture was stowed; unhung artwork rested against walls, though some remained hung at an angle. Acanthus was careful not to look too long at the artwork. In one portrait of a young couple, the edges of the painting seemed to fray into insanity, painting with shapes and idioms incomprehensible to her mind. By the time her eyes reached the frame, she was unsure if she was looking at a painting or a crime scene.

“3ulogy… 3ulogy!” Her familiar raven had vanished into thin air. He was probably playing tricks on her, but it was neither the time nor place. Her hand moved down to her waist, swiping at a leather belt instead of usual steel. If I pull out a weapon now, he’s never gonna let it go.

“Calm down. I was just trying the other doors. All locked. Let’s go up.” 3ulogy didn’t wait for an answer before climbing the stairs. A distant banshee screech echoed through the house, and 3ulogy froze.

“The… fourth step is a little loose. Creaks when you step on it.” He stayed still for a moment longer, took one more step up, and then hurried up the winding staircase. Acanthus followed silently, testing the fourth step as she climbed. It made no sound.

Distorted violin sounds crept through the long hallway, emanating from a study at the top of the tower. 3ulogy had stopped to admire the walls. He barely acknowledged Acanthus when she finally caught up.

“Candy’s in there. Help yourself.”

“Did you already go in and check?”

3ulogy’s face twisted. “Yes, I’m a magical raven that can teleport faster than your eye can perceive—no, I haven’t been in there! Seriously.”

“Then how do you?...”

“It’s the only room open, isn’t it? Go prove me wrong.”

Acanthus fought another urge to strangle 3ulogy. I can be the adult in this situation. Checking her menu one more time, she walked through the door. Jomei better not have hired anyone to sit in here and scare us… It’s a safe zone, so no one is dying.

* * *

Someone was dead.

A body lay stiff on the carpet, blood oozing from an unseen head wound. The corpse twisted around in a way Acanthus recognized from her time at the hospital: moderate rigor mortis, which meant it had been here for… six… twelve hours? She found herself moving towards the body to examine it.

“Acanthus, what the hell.” It was 3ulogy. His voice was barely audible. “This isn’t worth candy. Let’s just go.”

“I’ve never seen a body in Aincrad. They always disappear, right? I want to see if there’s a reason.”

“The reason is that it’s probably not. dead.”

“That can’t be it, Jomei doesn’t seem like he would go for jumpscares.”

SCREEECH

In a practiced flurry of motion, Acanthus scrolled through her inventory and equipped her armor in a flash. (She hadn’t gotten the sword down yet. That would take another three posts, give or take.) Acanthus whipped around to find a tall, fierce, beclawed Pumpkin Lord gazing down on the pair from a previously unnoticed balcony. Eyes blazing with a hellish indignation, the Lord of the house drew his sword, and leveled at the two intruders. It would be a fight to the death.

No, wait. He was pointing behind her.

Tentatively, Acanthus turned—just her head—to the desk behind her. Sconces and candles began to fill the room with a warm light. An inkwell spilled across the desk, dripping from the table and onto a shape convincingly composed of very pillows and chair legs. The body wasn’t just stiff—it was wooden.

Next to the spilled inkwell, a bowl of candy and a simple note.

Trick or Treat 
Happy Halloween

—--

Jomei grinned from the balcony, Pumpkin head casually resting underneath his free arm. Acanthus still surged with pure adrenaline. “Jomei, you—....” A few deep breaths brought her back down from the edge. She’d already been mean to the man before—he didn’t deserve it again. Certainly not for going above and beyond. “Good job with the decorations. I hope everyone else has been just as scared as us.”

“I wasn’t scared. I didn’t say I was scared.” 3ulogy mumbled, kicking the “body” once for good measure. “Whatever. At least you didn’t skimp on the candy.”
 

Edited 2 hours ago by Acanthus

[Adelyte 0]

  

 

    ♦Lv1 Adelyte

Spoiler Adelyte | HP 80/20 | EN 26/26 | DMG 7 Lv. 4 | T. 1 equipped 2H Warhmmer DMG|DMG -- -- battle-ready inventory 3x Potion (+50 Hp) skills HAMMER | Rank 2 buffs Pretty buff

 

RE: RE: RE: RE: Trick or Treating To:Jevi

>Hiiii Jevi :3    >No, I'm not going trick or treating > Oh come on, don't be such a 8=D     > Did you just call me a dick? > COME ON! Its sooo boring going by myself. > Please? > Please? > Sorry I don't know why that double sent.    > Fine. > >:3

 

The door to the house in front of them slowly opened leaving Adelyte and Jevi wondering if they had gotten the right house. Surly the pumpkins, the skeletons, and everything were just decorations right?

Right?

"Welp. Guess the candy is inside." With long strides, Adelyte push the door the rest of the way open and walked in. 
"Adelyte wai- Ugh" Jevi groaned, before following in after her. 

"Ooh, spooky~" Adelyte would whisper as they entered the main room. The stairs leading up to the second floor were littered with broken pieces of mismatched wood. She assumed that it was a way of telling anyone not to go this way.. OR maybe that's what they wanted her to think, and that this was the path to the candy at the end of the candy-corn colored rainbow. However, as Adelyte went to step past the splintered wood, she noticed the silhouette standing just above her on the landing. It stood tall, and unbelievably thin, no visible appendages but two glowing yellow eyes looked down at her. Blinking and twitching, its 'head' seemed to begin to shift the longer Adelyte lingered. (Anyone with Night Vision would see that its basically a scarecrow with Jomei's owl posing as the head)

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to go that way." Jevi chimed in, pulling Adelyte back off of the stairs. The figure returned to a calm state, the eyes disappearing into darkness once more. 

"Guess not.. Oh over there!" 

Into the living room they went, just off to the side of the main staircase. Furniture covered in dusty white sheets with crooked paintings lining the walls. There was not much to see in this room, but the vibes were certainly creepy and off putting. The only other open doors in this room led to an open space with a staircase that spiraled upward. 

[3ulogy 0]

How the hell was Acanthus a frontliner? She could barely handle a strong gust of wind and a few pumpkins hanging from the trees. Although… Even 3ulogy had to admit the gust of air at the entrance was a spooky touch. Unfortunately for whoever Jomei is, I like spooky stuff.

Acanthus milled around the ground floor, looking at the weird art. 3ulogy had seen enough to know it was those weird freaky art pieces that looked normal until you looked for too long. Probably something that was like “oooooh, if you look in the window in the back of the painting there’s a scary face,” kinda stuff. It was predictable, but it showed an attention to detail that 3ulogy respected.

He tried the other doors, all locked. More attention to detail. Channel your unsuspecting guests in a single direction, just like any good haunted house. Most of them were just filled with rubber masks and frightened children. Real horror took its time. It savored the suspense and let things get more and more unsettling, until—

A scream blasted down the stairwell. 3ulogy froze. “The… fourth step is a little loose. Creaks when you step on it.”

Holy shit. Holy shit, did Jomei actually get a monster in here somehow? Is that even possible? Against his better judgment, he continued climbing the stairs. He feigned interest in a piece of wall that might possibly (in a dim light with a dull mind) pass for a secret passageway. Acanthus would probably mill on ahead. It took a little encouragement, but she entered the study first. And found a dead body.

And her response was to poke it?!

“Acanthus, what the hell.” He kept his voice low. Jomei was probably watching, getting his rocks off to terrifying strangers. “This isn’t worth candy. Let’s just go.”

“I’ve never seen a body in Aincrad. They always disappear, right? I want to see if there’s a reason.”

“The reason is that it’s probably not. Dead.” She was going to get them both killed.

“That can’t be it, Jomei doesn’t seem like he would go for jumpscares.”

SCREEECH

3ulogy tore across the room, slamming against the locked window. His hands fumbled with the window lock. Come on, come on, I bet that stupid girl is gonna try and fight whatever is coming for us. At least that’ll buy me some time.

The window popped open. One leg out the window, and the lights started to go up.

The body wasn’t a body at all. It was just a bunch of pillows and shit. And the blood wasn’t blood at all. How did Acanthus even miss that?? Didn’t she used to work at a hospital?? Ridiculous.

The figure grinning from the balcony… Jomei, more likely than not. 3ulogy forced the scowl back inside. He could be nice for now. Although if he ever saw the guy running from mobs, he’d probably try and leash a few more to add to the chase. He deserved it.

“Good job with the decorations. I hope everyone else has been just as scared as us.”

“Whatever… At least you didn’t skimp on the candy.” It was his favorite kind to boot. But he wouldn’t give Jomei the satisfaction of knowing.

He planned to be back next year, though.

[Jevi 0]

Ripped denim and flannel, some fake fur on her forearms and shins. Slap some pointed wolf ears on top of her already brown hair - which she tousled to complete the look. That was all she needed to put together a quick, werewolf look to go out. Granted, she would have preferred to wear this to some sort of party, but the one one who came knocking was Adelyte. And to avoid sitting at home by herself this hallowed eve, she decided it was trick-or-treating or nothing. 

She'd get some candy out of it, at least. Couldn't be all that bad.

***

At the top of the spiral staircase was some sort of office or study. It was just as dark as the rest of the house, but at least the drawn curtains provided some light from the moon. 

"Oh no, look out V." Adelyte would tease, pulling the curtain open more to capture Jevi in the moon light. "Your turning into a werewolf! Ooooo~"

"Haha. Very funny." Jevi would smirk, crossing her arms. Alright, it was actually kinda funny. She took a step back to get a better look at the room now that there was more light, but she kicked something with her heel.

"Ahh don't eat me-" Adelyte continued, but stopped suddenly when she noticed what Jevi had bumped with her foot. Lying limp on the floor appeared to be a body. Her eyes widened and jovial smile disappeared in an instant. "W-what's that behind you?" a shaky finger would rise to point at the corpse. 

Jevi looked over her shoulder and down, the light of the moon only capturing the bottom half but easily identifiable as a body. A very dead body. Immediately, the woman shuddered and backed away, tumbling over the toppled chair nearby. Just in that same instant, the master of the house revealed themselves. A cackling pumpkin head with weapon drawn, pointing in their direction. 

Jevi shrieked. 

Adelyte was the one who noticed the note on the table near the body, and as she read the contents aloud, the room illuminated. "Trick or Treat. Happy Halloween?"

Leaning on the banister of the half balcony, Jomei looked down at a clearly embarrassed Jevi. "Wow, I don't think I've ever seen that reaction from you before."

"Jomei.." Jevi grumbled, "I'm going to kick your ass." 

Spoiler

Jevi | HP: 780/780 | EN: 92/92 | DMG: 23 | MIT:78 | ACC:2 | KEEN: 2 | F-SPIRIT | EVA:2 | BH:31 | REC: 4 | PARA               

Level: 35
Paragon Level: 12
True Tier: 5
HP: 780/780
EN: 92/92

Stats:
Damage: 23
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 2
Evasion: 3
Battle Healing: 31
Keen: 2
Rec: 4
PARA

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Maelstrom Bracers -  Keen | Keen | Para
Armor: Brawler's Respite - Mit | Mit | Recovery
Trinket: Fancy Footwork - Eva | Eva | Eva

Skills:
Combat Mastery: Damage R3
Specialization: AoE
Martial Arts R5
Light Armor R5
Fighting Spirit
Lock Picking R3
Battle Healing R4

Active Mods:
Meticulous

Addons:
Stamina x
Precision x
Ferocity x
Resolve x
Dismantling

Active Extra Skills:
Survival 

Buffs: 
Rested | -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean | The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20%
Multipurpose | Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll    
Relaxed | Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.    
Meticulous | +1 CD when crafting in one’s workshop.
Working | +2 EXP per crafting attempt
Forager | +2 Gathering EXP per gathering attempt    

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Jevi