[Global Plot] Round Two, Fight!

[Nymph]

REWARDS

121st of Vhalar, 717

If there was one city that would have been considered neutral ground, it certainly was not Etzos. Whomever had hidden the artifact here had plans to keep it away from the Immortals. Given the government's propoganda against the superior beings, it would have made it incredibly difficult for them to search for it themselves. Maybe that was why Cassion had sought out his cousin's to do his dirty work. Bring him the items so that they might get beneficial information in return.

Then again, they had turned around and found champions - or perhaps minions was a better word - to do their work for them. The participants had fallen asleep the night before just as they would have any other night. Their patron Immortals would have slipped silently from Emea to bring them to Etzos, depositing them at the same location. It was a quaint little inn in the middle of Etzos. It had gone unnoticed by most within the city and the Immortals suspected it was the best place for travelers to suddenly appear.

"Are you sure this is the best place to drop them. It seems so unimaginative. Maybe we should set them up in the houses of others. Perhaps in the bed of others too."

"I am sure this is an appropriate place. Besides, committing unwanted adultery draws attention to our goals Edasha. You want to win right? Not start a war with the mortals."

Edasha stood one one side of the alley across from the inn while Ymiden hid in the shadows on the other side. He was dressed relatively plainly and seemed to blend it far better than his cousin. She, on the other hand, was heavily scented and dressed in exotic, brightly colored fabric. She exuded high class and sophisticated culture where he preferred the earthly feels created by his lover. He had elected to go barefoot.

"You kept your word, didn't you Edasha? You didn't give them anything that might help them in our games. That would be unfair."

"I may be the Immortal of jealousy, but I do not cheat in games. Only on people. They are much more fun to manipulate than a game."

Ymiden rolled his eyes. She would never understand the feeling that true love brought. Both grew silent, deeming the game even between the two of them. Soon their individual groups would begin to wake up in a foreign place. Over the course of the last few nights, their dreams had been plagued with hints to prepare themselves. They had been told to leave a bag of clothes and equipment at the foot of their bed prior to their departure so the Ymiden and Edasha could whisk their belongings and their being to Etzos without having to fight too much with the surroundings. Emean travel was difficult if things were not organized.

Upon waking up, they would be permitted to organize themselves. Without knowing it themselves, the participants would wake up at similar times or within trills of each other. They would be allotted just enough time to wake up, get dressed, and equip themselves with the items they felt necessary to bring. Each person would also find a small scroll and quill on their belongings. Was this a potential communication device between the members of their group? Only time would tell.

Things would get interesting the moment that each of them opened the door. A faint shimmer would hang within the doorway. It would be missed by those in a rush to see what was happening. Then again, they didn't really have much of a choice if they did notice the strange portal in their way. They could stay behind and miss out on the opportunity of a life time, leaving their group at a disadvantage, or continue forward.

If they passed through they would find themselves facing one another in a circular clearing with a simple stone podium equidistant from them in the center of the clearing. Each participant would have stepped out onto a stone pillar, elevated high to prevent them from missing out on the opening ceremonies. Seven pillar circled the center stage.

A woman stood on the center podium. Strange magic was afoot as it appeared to each individual that she was looking directly at them. She wore a strange helmet with curled horns that seemed to protrude from her eyes and a horn that extended from the grown of her head. A glowing green gem fell in the center of forehead. It throbbed with energy, connecting herself with them. With hands folded, she awaited for each champion to join her.

Global Plot: Part 2

Welcome all to the next stage of this arcs Global Plot. I will go into a little bit more detail about the challenge in my next post but I would like to clarify the rules of this first round of posting. The rules will be further clarified in the next round of posting with images.

As you all know, each of you were contacted about how to proceed with this thread. Due to the interest in sabotaging one another, you have all elected by choice or indifference to proceed in a single thread. That means that there will be a total of 8 writers in this thread including myself. The timeline will be somewhat loose for this first round of posting but will become much more strict in the following rounds of posting to ensure that we complete this phase of the Global Plot in a timely fashion.

I will ask that you all complete your initial posts no later than Sunday, October 29th. Ideally, we will have everyone posted by Monday, October 23 to begin the next phase; however, I may require more time to put together the necessary images for the next round. If everyone has posted by Monday and I am ready to go, you will get the next set of directions from your "games' mistress".

There is no posting order. Please only post once before my next post. If you have not posted by October 29th, I will assume you have not walked through the portal and you will not be able to continue in this phase of the Global Plot.

In this next post you may acknowledge those that posted before you. I also need to know what items you have brought with you into this challenge. Please be very clear so that everyone is aware of what they may or may not be dealing with. The items must have been previously owned by your character. Items that are gained throughout the season but were not placed in these initial posts cannot be used. It is advised that you bring the scroll I mentioned; that will come into play next round.

If you have any questions, please PM me ASAP so that I can get them answered before the deadline.

Let's begin.

I am bad, and that is good.
Nymph

[Hart]

"Speaking in Rakahi"
"Speaking in Common"

Hart... was well accustomed to waking in unfamiliar rooms. Still, it was rare for him to wake up in a city he didn't recognize.

Up off the bed and he looked around the little room. It was modest, and seemed to belong to an inn-- it had that sort of homey smell, straw and cooking food and just a hint of dust. He moved close to the window, glad that there was a window at all to give some small clue, and tried to figure out where he was. He knew the why of it, that was rather obvious and the dreams had been more than enough hint. Looking out-- a tiered city, wood and adobe buildings, and if he had to guess it would be--?

He didn't know, not someplace he had ever been, which certainly narrowed things down as throughout life he had been to more places than not. For a moment, looking out, he wondered if the where of it even mattered.

Probably not.

The bag he had packed was his messenger bag which contained pretty much all he owned. The basics of living for someone who might wander far. Curious, he reached up and touched the undying purple flower Edasha had given them all in the first dream, which was still tucked behind his ear. Edasha, he thought again, brow knitting slightly, and looked around the room. But no one was there save for him.

Quickly Hart got dressed. He yanked on his clothes and ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up in the front though he didn't notice. His hand kept straying to the flower behind his ear and after touching it a second time he resolved not to again. Hands needing to be busy, he plucked up the bag from where he'd set it and riffled through its contents.

It really was basic stuff. For all his flights of fancy, Hart was not a worldly man. He had what truly were the basics of survival: a compass, a map of the coastline of Rynmere, useless now, a spyglass. A tinderbox, a week's worth of dried rations, and a waterskin. The extras he had thought to pack, some rope, a tiny tiny knife, better for eating than anything else, a lantern, and a small fishing net were things he had thought might come in handy. He also had his money and sketchbook and charcoals, though he doubted they would be of much use. Then again, not knowing what it was he was supposed to do it was hard to come prepared.

He hoped to all the gods he would not have to fight someone.

"Edasha, if you can hear me--"

He paused.

"Please let it not be that."

And perhaps he would be lucky. He had been equipped, not with a weapon or armor but with a quill and scroll of parchment. Those he kept in one hand. The tiny knife was in his pocket. His bag slung over his shoulder. His other hand went momentarily to an innocuous stone necklace that hung around his neck. Hart took a deep breath.

"Nothing for it," he said, and without noticing the shimmer in the darkened doorway stepped through the door.

He had not been expecting what lay beyond, to be honest he'd been expecting a hallway, and for one terrible moment he thought he would step off the side of the pillar and plummet down to the clearing floor. At the last moment he saved himself, windmilling one arm, and then stepped back into the center of the column on which he now stood. He was one of several in a ring, facing an open space. In the middle of the space was a podium, a woman stood atop it. She seemed to be looking at him and yet Hart didn't meet her eyes-- instead, he looked to the green gem upon her forehead which, for some inexplicable reason --which he immediately thought was power-- drew his attention and kept it. He took in the horns and helmet and curled his free hand into a fist.

There was music around him, and it was as lovely as it was strange. For some reason, he tried not to listen too closely. Instead he drew his eyes over the woman again, taking in her stance and what seemed to be a look of expectation. Up on his pillar there wasn't really anywhere to go.

Okay. So he would stay. If he needed to get down he had the rope. And--

He checked behind him, curious to see if the doorway was still there or if it had vanished.

[Patrick]

He had inclinations prior to this event that shit would hit the fan soon, he'd just been unsure just how heavy of a pile it would be before the coming Trial. There'd been frequent dreams as the incoming time approached and finally, Patrick gave in and decided to pitch in with what he'd been instructed. With the travelling back he'd purchased back in Ne'haer on hand he'd prepped the many essentials he'd considered necessary; his razor and comb, toiletries, and even the soap had to be included in that deal. He even bought himself a little extra gift to celebrate the coming event, though he partook in the celebration a little too early. Last he remembered he'd brought home another broad to share his bed and then his drunk night ended usual, with him plastered and worn out enough to sleep until the morning of the next Trial that awaited him. He'd practically forgotten the coming testament that supposedly waited for him, until he came to a rise from his bed to find himself actually -not- in his apartment. "Hold up..." He squinted his eyes as he looked outside the window, aware of the fact that street outside wasn't the one his apartment hadn't been fixed on. No problem. He'd woken up in other's places before after passing out drunk after all...

But what street was this place on? It didn't look like the typical Rharne setting at all.

His eyebrows rose as he looked from the window to the door next, unsure if he'd fallen into another unusual dream or perhaps... the Immortals? He'd started to find himself a little irate with them lately, granted his curse had been doing nothing but making life miserable this past season. "Ugh." Pat sighed as he moved back to fall onto the bed, unsure of what in Idalos he would be doing here shortly. After a bit of time passed he rose to clean up and comb his hair, brush his teeth and do the usual morning routine, and proceeded to get dressed for the occasion he'd packed for. First he put on his first layer of clothing which consisted of the white shirt and beige trousers he had, while the second set over that clothing would be the leather armor he'd purchased as well. He hadn't really found a use for this type of gear before, but going into something like this made him uneasy. The leather armor and fauld were the first to go on as he eventually found himself able to slip on the pants, and after he'd tightened the straps of his leather gear he then proceeded to finish with the leather boots and leather gauntlets afterwards.

All this dressing up felt rather time consuming to him, a process he didn't want to muck up since this was foreign territory. With the traveler's bag now repacked with the essential's he'd taken out, Patrick threw it over his shoulder with one strap on while he prepped his gear. He had the small pouch of crossbow bolts strapped at his side, and the hidden blade tucked within the space of his left leather gauntlet. He'd forgotten the name until recently of the person that actually bought this for him, when he'd received it as a gift in Ne'haer during Zi'da. Tei'serin. She'd been the one who'd purchased it for him, and thus it came to him through Saoire's own presence. If Tei were actually going to be here, then he'd have to remember to thank her in a little while. With the crossbow held and positioned over his left shoulder, Patrick turned the knob to open the door and turned around briefly to check. Yep. He'd almost forgotten his damned bottle. Praise Ilaren that it still managed to make it this far with him! When he picked the whiskey up and took a swig he backed to the door, determined to turn out and walk into a hallway just like any other inn would have. Only...

His exit took him to some god forsaken spit of green land elsewhere, with little foot room on this stone pedestal he stood upon. Patrick nearly fell forward off the damned thing and teetered a little, a hard swallow of his whiskey took place as he nearly choked on the stuff. He teetered a little as he remained balanced atop the surface of this pillar, his eyes widened from shock as he looked down below to the meadow that they stood so high above. He coughed and wheezed a few times as he looked at his surroundings next, aware to see that there were seven pillars in general gathered around a central figure. A woman. Staring hard in his direction? He looked over his shoulder to find the opened door wasn't there, just an endless realm of whatever this place turned out to be really. He held the bottle close to his chest as he tapped a finger on it in distress, the same behavior came with the index finger on the end of his crossbow. "Well shit." He finally sighed as he looked from down below back to the femininely central figure, he wasn't sure whether or not her presence would spell a good or bad thing really.

He had his essentials and, hopefully, everything he needed to make it here. All that remained was to see what would unfold come the following Bits.

Inventory Check!

Most of what isn't being carried/worn is literally packed into his Travel bag, which that is under exploration.

General
Mother's Pendant
Whiskey (Purchased)
Soap
Comb
Razor
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Waterskin
Toiletries
Journal
Ink Well
Ink Pen
Lantern

Clothes
Trousers: Cotton, Large, Beige
Gloves: Cotton, Large
Shirt: Cotton, Large, White

Armor
Leather Armor
Leather Gauntlets
Leather Greaves
Leather Fauld

Weaponry
Crossbow
Bolts 40 (Purchased)
Hidden Dagger

Exploration
Travel Bag: Large, HD, Waterproof
Grappling Hook
Hemp Rope (50ft)
Climbing Axe/Hammer
Crampon/Spikes Soles for Boots
Reinforced Crampon Gloves
Bag: Large, HD, Waterproof
Waterskin

[Ilinis]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/5F6mhTC.jpg[/img]

121st of Vhalar, 717

Something was wrong. Ilinis bolted up in bed. His eyes tore over the unfamiliar room as his heart pounded in his chest. This wasn't his home. There was too much...stuff. The air felt wrong. Then he remembered the dream he had been having for the last few nights. In it he was always sitting on his bed. The flower that Edasha, instead of being in his coat where he kept is, was at the foot of his bed upon a large sack of his belongings. The dream would always proceed with him picking up the sack, gingerly cradling the flower, and then whispering "I am ready."

He hadn't known quite might it meant, but after it had repeated the third time he had figured it was no coincidence and was going to be called upon to assist Edasha as her champion. Just as the dream, he packed his things at the foot of the bed in preparation for the upcoming journey. Yet...he hadn't expected to awaken one day in a strange location with his things.

If he was going to be of use to Edasha, he figured he should probably figure out where he was. He would be far more useful to her if he could establish a few contacts to feed him information as quickly as possible. Gingerly opening the room's window, he peered outside. Squinting the see through the bright light of the sun, he sighed. He had no idea where he was. That was when he realized he still wasn't dressed yet. Ilinis slammed the window shut and quickly dressed himself - the least he could do is look presentable.

Rummaging through the pack at the foot of the bed, Ilinis grabbed out the essentials he liked to keep on his person. He affixed he throwing daggers to his right hip, distributed the tinderbox and antidotes into his coat pockets, and then slung the pack onto his back. He failed the notice the scroll that had been placed on top of the pack, and as he swung the pack, it rolled uselessly beneath the bed. Being uncertain where he was, it would be hard to determine if he had packed the essentials, but he figured he could always acquire more things in the city after he had become situated. There was little else of value to him within the room, and he stepped through the room door.

He blinked. Once. Twice. A third time. He had expected the hallway. However, he now found himself standing atop a high stone pillar in a clearing. He was confused how he was moving locations like this, but he supposed the Immortals had their powers. Scanning the area, he found six other pillars. A few of them were occupied already, and he recognized the one from the dream where he had met Edasha. The time must be afoot. He nodded to himself.

Ilinis then noticed the center podium. There was a woman looking at him with a strange helmet that had curled horns which seemed to protrude from her eyes and a horn that extended from the grown of her head. A glowing green gem fell in the center of forehead. Her hands were folded. It certainly wasn't Edasha, but then who was it? He frowned. He didn't think he had much of a choice but to wait and find out.

Inventory

In Sack

One Set of Toiletries: Soap, A comb or brush, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste,
One waterskin
Two sets of eating utensils
Vial of Ink (Black)
Vials of Ink (Red, Blue, Yellow)
Vial of Ink Thinner
Mixing Palette
Drying Powder with Sachet
Vellum (10 sheets)
Crude Paper
Fine Paper
Extra Nibs (5)
Reservoir Pen
Heavy Rope (20ft)
Blank Journal
Lantern

On Person / In Coat

One set of clothing (adaptable as per race, though for humanoid races, this includes a coat , shirt, pants, undergarments, and a pair of boots. All clothing is standard quality.
Tinderbox
Fuzz Antidote
Buzz Antidote
10x Good Throwing Daggers
Scrap of treasure map
Bag (Large) (Soft Pleated Leather with Shoulder straps)
Canteen

[Niv]

Niv’s head was nestled into the warm feathers of her Bird friend Patcha when she awoke. The tunawa had cried herself to sleep another night and her avian friend had been there to offer his wing. It was exhausting to maintain her usual smile while so much of her life was in shambles. She only allowed herself to cry at night when others weren’t around so they couldn’t see her being weak. Niv hated feeling weak because she was often considered a delicate flower who could walk and talk but nothing else. This wasn’t how Niv saw herself, In her mind she was a tall sturdy tree that could withstand nearly everything. Even if she felt like a shrivelled weed she couldn’t let others see it. Niv had to maintain the self she wanted others to see.

Niv could feel a sudden tenseness in the cockatoo’s back before he sprang up in alarm, causing Niv to tumble clumsily to the ground. The tunawa expected to fall from the lemon tree she slept in each night but instead landed on something soft and squishy. She wiped the sappy crust from her eyes left by her tears and took in her surroundings. Niv was not in her tree or on Pash’s boat, she wasn’t even in Desnind, or any other place the Tunawa had been before. Niv was in a human bed of a stranger and she tensed up in fear at this realization. Had she been captured? it seemed unlikely since she wasn’t in a cage or sack but it still made her uneasy. Moop the fear spirit appeared beside her like a haunting wisp and reminded Niv of their connection, allowing her to keep a clearer mind.

This was Ymiden’s doing, It all came back to her. The dream with the tea party where Ymiden explained the task he needed her for. Niv hopped up from the oversized pillow her and Patcha had been placed on and began preparing herself. From her domain bag Niv grabbed the blue ribbon Ashen gave her to pull her unruly vines into high ponytail. She slipped some pants and a shirt on and adorned her waist with the protective ring Thetros had given her. She finished the task by tying her domain bag around her neck like a cape and hoping a top her mount.

Niv didn’t know where to go but the first step was to get out of the room and there was only the door in front of her that stood in the way. It was thankfully open just enough for Patcha to fly through and he did, only to fly into another unexpected location. There was a women there who despite not having visible eyes, was starting at Niv directly. There was a few other strangers in similar places to Niv but she only recognized one of them.

She waved her tiny arm around with vigor in Patrick’s direction, with a smile of relief worn on her face. At least Niv knew she had friends to help her in this task.

► Show Spoiler

Niv has all her Belongings but I'll gonna be more specific to give you an idea of what Niv has.
1. Her Sling Staff with a few odd mushrooms samples as ammunition in case she can't find any pebbles lying around.
2. The contents of an alchemist kit that can fit in her bag. (despite not having skill in alchemy yet, a chemist can hope.)
3. A small sample of Whiskey in a tiny vial to offer Patrick in case he needs more booze (the lush).
4. four light stones and four dark stones. (they glow and suck up light)
5. A snow suit with bunny ears in case it gets Nippy.
6. A ball of yarn and a crochet hook (small enough for a tunawa...so basically a tooth pick)
7. The contents of a healing kit that fit into her bag..so mostly bandages and thread.
8. The riding equipment for her bird mount. (Since she's bringing her bird friend with her.)
9. Sphere of Sanctuary= an Item that gives Niv a magical hamster ball when she's scared so she can hop away. Only lasts a few trills and can’t be used again for another seven trials after use.

Art credit to koyamori

[Noth]

The twilight hybrid groaned as he was released from the grasp of sleep, allowing a simultaneous yawn to creep from him as he began to awaken. Noth noticed the subtle change in lighting even before he had managed to open his eyes, but once they looked upon the world, he was immediately up and alert. Wicked talons raked across the ground as he forced himself to his feet, fully expecting an intruder to barge through the door at any moment. The first thoughts that ran through his mind were that he had been kidnapped, and taken somewhere else in the middle of the night, likely by a criminal rival who had noticed his exploits in the city, but those thoughts were quickly dispelled. No, memory told him why he had been taken, and he distinctly recalled the dreams that had presented themselves to him, the ones which had warned him that the challenges would be coming soon, reminding him of his deal with the accursed Immortal of Fire.

It seemed like an eternity had passed since that deal had been struck, a business arrangement between the two, and a compromise with the morals that the Avriel held dear for the sake of progress. It had been a necessary agreement to make, and he imagined all of the plans that he had set into motion coming to fruition, all of the efforts that he had wrought coming into existence, of all that would be changed and accomplished with the assistance of the fiery Immortal’s boon. He would not be granted that particular favor, however, unless he was victorious in his actions, and so he was coerced into rapid preparation.

Feathered fingers took hold of the nearby armament, beginning to strap assorted pieces of chainmail and plate to his eager body, ensuring that the garment he had worn to sleep appropriately covered the areas where the metal would touch lest it latch upon his feathers, and yank at them irritably whilst he moved. It weighed down upon him, but it was a familiar weight, and he quickly arose, coated in the metallic covering like it was a second skin. It was fascinating how the body could acclimate to the presence of weight, eventually growing so used to it that it barely strained to carry it around, even when the activities being performed would be otherwise strenuous. For example, the hybrid distinctly remembered a time when he had found it to be ridiculously difficult to even attempt to jog in the plate armor, but now he felt confident that he could chase down a target with relative ease; though, he could certainly not run for as long as he could without it.

He supposed it wasn’t so different from the way that the mind acclimated to the psychological strain of guilt and desire. He remembered a time when he lied awake at night, remembering the faces, feeling the crimson liquid caress his flesh in its warm embrace as he recalled the nightmarish actions he had committed, the criminal performances and the garish messes that he had left in his wake, the families splintered and torn just as cruelly as the flesh of his victims.

The armor did well to cover over a majority of his grotesque features, but it certainly did not reduce the dreadful presence he evoked. Instead, it made him appear like so many warlords of histories past, draped and dressed so that they might create warfare and better facilitate bloodshed. Not a soul would gaze upon the twilight hybrid and have thoughts of peace and serenity flicker into existence, but rather, they would see the antithesis of such pleasant emotions. There was little doubt that Noth was here to war against others, not to shake hands, form alliances, and speak pleasantries, though, there was at least some tactical piece of him which recognized the difficulty that would arise if he immediately made himself hostile to all parties. Even though he could not actively see any of his opponents, he knew that it would be in his best interest to ally himself for one or two of them so that they might work with him in the elimination of the others, and then to turn against those who had foolishly planted trust in him.

His mind flickered back to the other pair who had struck an accord with the Immortal of Fire, and he questioned whether they would be present with him in the adjacent rooms of the tavern; for it was quite clearly a rented room, stinking of the alcohol and musk that commonly lingered after those who had stayed had long since departed, or whether those with whom he had interacted had been dispatched to differing areas, and would be unavailable to assist him. It would be a shame if he was deprived of their abilities, though he supposed he would simply have to adjust if that were the case.

The Prince of Eternal Mercies scoured through the remainder of his supplies, gradually continuing the process of outfitting himself until all he desired had been strapped to his body, or else properly organized. Upon his shoulder lay the longbow which he had used often in his slayings, whether of man or beast, and he had grown quite proficient in stringing along the any of the many missiles now laid across his back. The heads of these particular projectiles were far sharper than any of the others he had used to cut through flesh, their adamantite tips glistening with anticipation, eagerly awaiting the moment they might strip away the life of some unforeseen opponent.

The adamantite mace at his side also groaned in hunger, patting against his side with a gentle movement reminiscent of a mantis as it hunts its prey, delighting in the prospect that it might get to play in that wondrous game which the mortal races had performed throughout history: War. It would share its excitement with him before the trial had ended, rattling with bone-shaking force through his extremities as it made contact with whatever cloth coverings his enemies would coat themselves in, cracking muscle and ligament with bloody perspiration, and jamming bone through skin until they were nothing more than a gory effigy of their past selves.

Noth himself was not eager for the slayings themselves, because he had never been a sadistic sort, nor the type to delight in the suffering of others. Instead, he simply saw the pain and anguish as a means to an end, a particularly gruesome medical operation that must be performed in order to excise the cancerous mass which tainted the world. This was only another action in that operation, and he knew in his heart that for all the loss he would cause by removing a few pieces from the grand scheme of things, a few pawns from their Immortal masters, he would cause far greater peace and serenity when his work had been fully completed.

There were a few other items of use scattered around his form; a knife at the hip opposite his mace, a bag loosely attached to his back which held a tinderbox for starting fires, along with a pair of waterskins. He did not bother with bringing food, because he knew that it would only slow him down, and he felt fairly confident in his abilities to scrounge up something to consume, or else to steal something suitable from the string of corpses he would leave. Regardless, he had decided to pack away several items which he thought would be necessary depending on the length of his exploration, and they were hidden away in the bottom of the rucksack.

With a final glance around the room to ensure that he had not missed anything, the hybrid opened the doorway, crimson eyes scanning the area to guarantee that there were not any traps left waiting outside of his room meant to deter or eliminate him entirely from the competition. Instead, he noticed only a vague haziness which caused him no harm when he slipped his feathered fingers into it. Strange, he considered as he stepped through it, suddenly appearing elsewhere.

Talons raked roughly against the stone pillar, and the hybrid glanced downwards, observing the ground beneath him for an instant and coming to the conclusion that it would be unsafe to attempt to dismount from the pillar. Predatory eyes found others nearby who waited upon their own pillars, and the crimson orbs narrowed in analysis and recognition. These, these ones were those that he would be facing in the proverbial arena. There were many pillars, but only a few contestants had managed to ready themselves, and so the others appeared to be empty for a few moments longer.

His eyes flickered over to one of the pillars that he had assumed empty, taking notice of a tiny shape mounted atop a particularly colorful bird. He didn’t believe that they were native to the area, which meant that they would have come from a place distant from his home of Etzos. Noth hadn’t truly considered which differing cultures and locations would submit champions for the race of the Immortals, nor which ones would actually be participating in the contest, and he hoped that the others had not given it much thought either. Instinctively, the Avriel began to scheme, formulating a plot that would facilitate the preservation of his life should circumstances go awry.

Recognition flickered across what little was visible of his facial features as he came upon Patrick; the Seer from a dream many seasons prior. He was the reason that the twilight hybrid had decided to make a trip to Rharne, though he could not recall ever actually meeting him whilst on that temporary adventure. It seemed strange that he would find him again now, and though he was not possessed by feelings of sentimentality or kinship, he made a mental note to potentially ally with him for the majority of the duration of the event. He outstretched a hand towards the fellow, palm pointed directly upwards in a way commonly used by young men to invite their paramours to dance.

He had taken notice of the womanly figure awaiting all of them in the center since he had arrived, but he had paid it less mind than the others. It was evident that it was not another contestant, because it had not been placed upon the columns in the same way, and because it radiated a power that would have made the game entirely unfair. What point was there to the contest if there would be absolutely no struggle? He was finished with his observations of the others, however, and so he laid a crimson gaze directly upon her, boring his wicked gaze into her own magical one to see if she might flinch.

► Show Spoiler

• Plate Armor covering most of body. This includes an Armet, greaves, vambraces, aventail, cuirass, pauldrons, cuisses, a special gauntlet, etc
• The only piece of body not covered by plate is the torso which is covered only with a chainmail hauberk, and the feet which have talons instead.
• One Rucksack
• Assorted Toiletries
• Two Waterskins
• Tinderbox
• Two torches
• 5 feet of Rope
• One Bedroll and Blanket
• Longbow
• Heavy Adamantite Mace
• Hunting Knife
• A dozen adamantite-tipped arrows
• A dozen iron-tipped arrows
• One brass ring of a Black Bird
• Portal Anklets
• Quill and Scroll
• 50 Gold Nels

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Something was wrong. Tei'serin realized that much the moment she woke up. Cautiously, while trying to pretend that she was still asleep, she tried to take her bearings. She couldn't sense the presence of anyone nearby, so she opened her eyes slowly. There was nothing that was immediately alarming, but she clearly wasn't back home. And there were no clues that might tell her where she was.

But before she could get too worked up about her situation, she half remembered a dream about a weird party, a talking wooden doll, and Ymiden asking her, and the others present at the party for help. She had thought it nothing more than a dream, and like most dreams, she had forgotten about it quickly after she had woken up. Clearly, though, it had not been a dream. Or if it had, it wasn't a normal dream.

Tei'serin checked the room, and found the bag she had packed, along with the katana she had placed op top of it before going to bed the night before. She had no idea how to use the katana, but after the war between the Immortals she had found herself caught up in the last time an Immortal had "asked" her for help, she felt slightly better for having the weapon with her. Perhaps if she did end up needing to fight, her would be enemy would see the sword, assume she knew how to use it, and go find an easier target.

Aside from the sword, she had brought a change of clothes, a light blanket, her black cloak, a tinderbox, the journal she was using as an herb journal along with her ink pen, and ink well, some of the tools from her herbalist kit, her mortar and pestle, and some money. These were all carefully packed within her bag. Next to her katana was a small scroll and a quill. Tei'serin glanced at them for a moment, then tucked them into her bag for now.

When she was ready, she gathered up her belongings, and opened the door. There was a faint shimmer within the doorway. If she wanted to leave the room, she would have to pass through it. And after a few trills of hesitation, she did so. What greeted her made her wonder if she was dreaming once more. She was standing on a stone pillar in a circular clearing. Others stood on similar stone pillars that circled the clearing. In the center stood a simple stone podium where a woman stood watching her. She wore a horned helmet, and had a green gem on her forehead. Unable to do much else, Tei'serin watched the woman warily as she waited for something to happen.

Off Topic

Tei'serin's Items: a change of clothes, a black cloak, a light blanket, a tinderbox, a blank journal, an ink pen and ink well, a mortar and pestle, a katana, two hand shovels (one large, one small), a pair of reinforced cloth gloves, a root digger, an herb collection pouch, and some money

[Nauta F'mos Geey]

While Nauta had been one of the early ones to awaken but as he found himself in a foreign place he had not been in when he went to bed, he only had a quick survey of his surroundings before he lay back down. As with any of the odd and potentially dangerous circumstances he normally found himself in, the Aukari decided he needed more information which he believed would easily come for as long as he stayed put. Without any changes however, Nauta realized nothing was going to happen unless he acted and got up again to properly examine the room he was in. Other than not being his own, it seemed like an ordinary room with no clear hazard in sight; it was then he caught sight of the bag and his other belongings at the foot of his bed.

Of course...

Edasha's old summons came to mind just as it had when he prepared himself after the dreams started to interrupt his good night's rest. While of all his equipment, his stolen and modified Black Guard armour had always been his go to piece because of all the advantages it provided him, it was still more suited for combat and Edasha had mentioned the challenges would be a race if he recalled it correctly. That was the reason why Nauta had decided to bring with him the armour of his own creation eventhough it was one he had reserved for those tasks in which a more specific sort of skill was required.

With it, Nauta packed the weapons he had brought out of Sirothelle in his desertion and that thing he found in case the so-called race turned violent. And then, there the tools he used in his "profession" which he had come to rely upon as well as the kit he prepared for his first job. There was no telling what the challenges might have in store for him and he would rather be prepared for any eventuality he could anticipate. Finally, there was the substances of his own creation, those he had come to rely upon as the need arose as the trials went by. As he had been told through his dreams to prepare himself, Nauta was even able to prepare more of his own items in the time he had in anticipation of the challenges.

And where would Nauta be without a lucky charm of some sort? While it has not proven itself as such yet, perhaps it would in the future challenge but as it was what it was introduced to him as and at Lizzie's insistence, the Aukari decided to bring it along with him and the energetic apparition seemed to shiver in excitement in the bottle it was contained in. All of these of course, were hidden beneath the coat Nauta flipped over himself ceremonously though he would fine no other person until he passed through the portal.

The mysterious scroll and quill which he found among his belongings he only gave a preliminary inspection before he decided to toss them along with the rest of his things. There had to be some reason they were there, perhaps from his patron herself, and eventually their function would reveal themselves to him. The bigger mystery was the portal which shimmered in the doorway. Nauta curiously put his right hand in, his right hand out, his right hand in and shook it all about but found no change or danger. There was no other reason for him then, to not go through the portal as it was the only exit from the room he woke up in.

Of all the people there, Nauta could only recognize half of them. Two, were the others who like him were summoned by Edasha although the Aukari could not really care about them much as he never had the chance to even converse with them before they were all sent away from Edasha's domain. The other was Noth with his lone wing which made Nauta second guess the chances he had at this point. If the opposition were all like the Avriel, it would really be troublesome if the competition turned out to be a fight.

His hood pulled up to shroud himself from any recognition by the Avriel, Nauta instead looked to the center with the horned woman whom all the attention seemed to be on.

► Show Spoiler

Stuff:

• Nauta's special "hide" armour
• Good longbow with 37 arrows
• Good dagger
• Good rapier
• 5 throwing knives
• Waterskin
• Bedazzled armband
• Fence thief stuff (vials containing water, oil, saltwater, 2x gelatin, sand)
• 4 doses of Frostbite
• 2 doses of Scarf Rot
• 2 smoke bombs
• 2 Incendiary bombs
• Black wool coat with cord
• 3x extra alchemical "triggers"
• String
• Anak of Force
• Mixed coins up to 30 gn

[Nymph]

REWARDS

Ymiden sensed something strange first but it was Edasha that reacted the quickest. There had been subtle changes emitted from the Inn suggesting that someone had tampered with this world. Edasha was in the inn, Ymiden yelling behind her to stop. She was driven by a completely different need than success. She practically flew up the stairs to the level that each player had been placed. Edasha stepped into Hart's room with ease. He and his equipment were not there. When she turned around to exit the room she noticed the portal. Someone had transported all of them somewhere else.

"Har-" Edasha screeched as she leaped in hopes to catch her son, whom knew nothing about this relationship. The portal snapped shut before she could make it.

One by one these players had stepped into her world so they could play her game. Despite the attempted interference and noise the Immortal was creating on the other side, the portal still zipped shut at the Mistress' command. They were all hers now. The woman with the strange crown pulled her arms out wide as if welcoming them. Almond shaped and sparkling green nails flashed as she moved her fingers deliberately as if controlling puppet strings.

"Welcome, to the Labyrinth."



She let that hang in the air a moment before raising her palms from her hips to her shoulders. The columns that the players stood upon shuddered, groaned, and then rose higher so they might see where they were. This movement might have caught Niv and her bird unawares, forcing them to land. Then again, if the bird was a self-thinking, it might have just followed it up. All around them were incredibly tall hedges making circle corridors and dead ends. There was one exit from this specific clearing. Although the maze seemed to stretch for a long while, there did not seem to be anything beyond the maze; there was only billowing white mist. For about five trills, lights of various colors reached up in perfect little columns. Red lights were closest, yellow lights were next, and finally, pink lights lined the border of the maze. These light immediately went off.

"As you have seen," she started lowering her palms back to the level of her hips. The columns slowly sank for the overview of the labyrinth. "You are in a complex made of hedges. Your object is to work as a team to retrieve the answer to my riddle. You all seek the same object..."

No longer controlling the columns, the woman reached out to each individual. Despite the fact that there was only one of her, she appeared to be reaching out to each one of them. There was a flash of light and suddenly there was a glittering, gold Halo levitating above her palm. Each person was allowed to take in this strange artifact. For those with exceptional eye sight, they might note that there were strange pictures and words embellished on the side of the halo. It spun neatly above her hand before it vanished once more.

"You seek the Halo for someone else. Mortals are so easily molded to do as one wishes. Why not keep it for yourself? Have you ever considered that to be an option? Why give these Beings more power?" Maybe she wanted to leave a little seed in their hearts. Corruptions was always a good place to start when it came to team dynamics.

"The rules are simple. You are asked to build an answer with the letter tiles that are hidden within this maze to my riddle," A brown tile of clay now floated where the Halo had been. One one side was the halo. On the other side, the letter "Z". "This is an example of what you will be looking for. There may be duplicates of letters, unnecessary letters, or only one letter that you might need."

The tile disappeared and she moved her palms so they were just slightly above her hips. The columns remained still. "Do not underestimate this maze or each other. The maze has the power to create," In her right hand, a silver scimitar appeared while a full branch of leaves and fruit grew in her left.

"...and destroy." The scimitar shattered, the pieces floating in the places where they would have been. Slowly the rusted and fell to the platform she was standing with a tinkle. The leaves on the branch fell until they were floating around her knees lazily while the fruit fell away and rotted. The branch went from green to brown before crumbling into dust and floating off the platform on a presumed breeze.

"You were all provided a special scroll..." Her voice drifted away as she focused. "What is this? Not all of you brought the scroll? That is incredibly disappointing. I suppose I shall have to change the game a little bit because of this."

The gem above her head pulsated and several little tiny stone tables developed at the foot of the columns. There was a scroll and quill on each of them. "You might know these scrolls as Echo Scrolls. These will allow you to communicate with your team mates. As for those that brought your gifts with you, I shall reward you."

A column of light shown down upon Tei'serin, Hart, Noth, and Nauta to signify whom had these special scrolls. It also meant they were possible targets. "You will be able to write on your scroll at any given point during the game and ask for a single hint. I shall provide you the answer on your scrolls. Will this give your team an upper hand, or will you potentially use it for personal gain? Only time will tell."

The woman once more shifted her hands facing the palms down. Slowly she lowered her arms until she was touching her thighs. The columns responded, dropping the players onto the ground before the stone tables with their Echo Scrolls. They would now be able to see two gold podiums on either side of the woman.

"To win, your team must bring the clay tiles back to these podiums and form the answer to my riddle. The winning team will move to the next stage while I return the losing team home. Now, the riddle."

A stone slab split the ground before her as if it were a wide tombstone marking a grave. The stone was parallel with the entrance and exit into the clearing. In neat cursive, the following riddle could be read:

I may seem real yet I am not,
Once you're gone I'm oft forgot.
Time here stretches and it shrinks,
It all depends on how you think.
I may be good, I may be bad,
I may be the same as one you've had.
Go through the motions,
Swim beneath Oceans,
Fly over mountains and valleys.
Here nothing matters,
For everything shatters,
Deep in your mind's darkest eyes.

"Begin."

Global Plot: The Maze

Hello everyone and welcome to the Labyrinth.

This has the potential to get complicated very quickly which is why I am going to establish a few rules. A lot of the moderating I will do directly in this thread will be short and to keep us all on course. Much of the moderating I will do will be behind the scenes so that you are making this story yours.

Prior to your posting each round, I will ask that you PM me the number of the letter tile you will be going after as described on the map above. I will then PM you the difficulty, how many rounds it will take to get there and back, and whether or not there are obstacles in your way. Assume that the farther out that you go the more difficult it gets; however, it may be necessary if you are to find the tiles you are looking for.

Please title the PM Global Number: PC NAME so that I can keep track of who has contacted me.

Each team has been sent the link to their Echo Scrolls with additional rules on how we will be using those.

I shall leave the sabotage up to your creativity. There is only 1 letter tile at each location. If you encounter another person, you may be obligated to fight for the tile or use your clever abilities to get it.

Posts should be up before Sunday of each week to keep us moving. If I need, I will post Sunday evening to summarize what has been going on and interact appropriately with PCs. If you have not posted by Sunday, you will not be able to choose a new number to go after and it is like missing a turn.

Good luck.

I am bad, and that is good.
Nymph

[Hart]

"Speaking in Rakahi"
"Speaking in Common"

The doorway had shut behind him, and Hart, looking around, took in the other people who had gathered here.

Some he recognized; there were the two other men, the eidisi and aukari, who had been in the dream with him and Edasha. He realized he didn't know their names, and had he given them his? Hart wasn't sure.

The others were a man with a flask, a young woman, and--

And some sort of bird creature in armor.

Hart felt immediately wrong for having thought that, and wrong again at the sway of something close to fear that washed through him at the sight of it. And no, that was wrong too. It wasn't an it, it was a him. The one-winged man was an avriel. Or half-avriel, he thought.

Hart's eyes moved on, though a wariness remained in his mind concerning the dark fellow. It was a feeling he didn't like.

Besides those three there was an empty column, and above the column was a bird. Hart squinted at the bird which hovered in the air and saw--

A small humanoid figure, riding on its back. A tunawa. He'd never met or seen a tunawa before, though he knew what she was from looking at her.

Each column was occupied, and so they were all here, it appeared.

Upon the central dais the crowned woman spoke. She lifted her hands and the columns rose with them. Hart jolted upon his own column and then set his feet and rose easily along with it. When the landscape before them was revealed he blinked around at the labyrinth --the maze-- which they appeared to be in the center of. It stretched as far as the eye could see, which was not too far in this case. There was fog beyond the maze's boundaries, which concealed whatever might have laid without.

Rules were given, and the woman didn't give any indication that she would answer questions should they have any. Columns of light shown down on three of the people gathered, and apparently the three had done something right-- or wrong, because now they had been singled out to the rest. Hart and the aukari were two of the three that were honored, and that was good because it meant their team had two hints while the other team only had one. But it was bad too, because he wasn't entirely certain that the scroll could not be taken from him, and if it was taken did the hint go to whoever had the scroll?

Others might try to get it from him in order to find out, and once more Hart glanced at the avriel, unable to stop himself.

If he asked for a hint now, that would negate the special qualities of his particular scroll. Then no one would have any reason to take it.

Hart smiled.

Those who had not brought their own scrolls were given replacements, and it turned out the things were called echo scrolls, and Hart took his and scribbled something upon the paper.

The columns went down, slowly, and Hart found himself on the ground with the others. This meant he was now in reach of everyone else, and very calmly he walked to the stone slab on which was written the riddle they'd all need to solve. Before anything else happened he scribbled that down too. It was best to have a copy.

Even if, reading it, he thought he knew the answer.

Okay, so. They needed to get some sort of halo for Edasha. To get it, they needed tiles from the maze to spell out the answer to the riddle. Good thing he wasn't a terrible speller.

Who knew what was in the maze itself. The woman had said it contained the power to create and destroy. But it wasn't just the maze which had those abilities, was it; so did the woman with that gem in her crown, and would it be the maze creating and destroying or would it be her, really?

There were many options going forward. Hart could work with his team by sticking with them, work with them by splitting up, work with or try to hinder the other team by sticking with them, follow or try to help or hinder a specific person, or wait here for the others to come back and try to take their tiles from them and steal the victory from their very hands. Hart didn't feel like being such an ass. And he didn't know if he'd be able to overpower anyone even if he tried. He didn't have much inclination towards that.

So, while it would be best for his team to stick together to defend against others who might try to stop them, it would also be best to split up in order to go through the maze more quickly. It was a race after all.

Hart glanced around, keeping well back from pretty much everyone, and then considered that of all of them the tunawa had the most advantage, assuming she would be able to fly over the maze using her little bird. He didn't know how big the tiles might be, if they were small enough for her to lift or carry, but then again she could always work as a scout for the rest of her team. That meant unless his team could somehow convince her to the other side or stop her from flying, his own team had to move very, very quickly.

He didn't know about the others, but he was not about to try to make a target out of the little tunawa and her bird.

Hart scribbled something else down, tipped his head to the crowned woman and everyone else as a sort of acknowledgement, and took off at a jog.

There was only one exit to the clearing and Hart jogged through it. Running through the maze willy-nilly meant he would just get lost, so he stuck to the right. He jogged, jogged, jogged, and as he jogged he sketched a vague shape of the path he was following. He stuck to the curves and twists of the hedge on his right and tried to move and sketch while putting distance between himself and anyone and everyone else, unless it was his own teammates. He kept up as brisk a pace he could until he was certain no one was following him, then slowed to a walk so he could better keep the paths of the maze straight in his head; if he thought someone unwelcome was following him, however, he would keep jogging for as long as he could and hope to lose them before they might catch up.

He kept a lookout for whatever the maze might be doing, too. Creating? Destroying? If he came to anything that looked suspicious he would stop and assess and if he could, move past whatever it was more cautiously.

Until then, Hart jogged.