+- Court of the Fallen (https://cotf-rpg.com)
+-- Forum: Out of Character (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=26)
+--- Forum: Important (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=27)
+---- Forum: Archives (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: [DROP] cleverly and quietly (/showthread.php?tid=3725)
RE: cleverly and quietly - Wessex - 06-26-2020
[say] “Thanks,”[/say] she replies to the Star with the slightest of chuckles. Pretty sure she’s said the same of him at some point.
When the ‘basement’ door opens and the cry is heard, the Wraith is cautious, particularly when she notices the platform and the door above them. Oh, it’s one of those doors, and she immediately knows her choice, but - a thought comes to her and she reaches out to try and stop Amalia.[say] “It’s trying to split us up!”[/say] she calls, but the Owl is gone and the platform is tilting.
Wessex starts to scramble upwards, taking her shadow and forming it into a ‘step’ for herself. Well, a booster, really. She could probably make the jump, but the extra bump can’t hurt. Taking a step or two back, she takes a start and leaps for it, hoping to catch the edge and pull herself onto the upper platform.
Waiting to see what Ronin will choose, she peaks over the corner and offers a hand if he needs it.
---------------
Wessex goes up to the Ascended door
RE: cleverly and quietly - Ronin - 06-26-2020
Of course it was trying to split them up - but perhaps it hadn’t counted on who might be showing up to the party. [say]”Amalia,”[/say] Ronin called as she moved to go down into the basement platform without waiting for the rest of the group to decide. Cursing inwardly, he nodded to Wessex. [say]”Let’s go - I’ll keep an extra pair of eyes on her.”[/say]
As the Wraith used her shadow to step and jump onto the platform, Ronin let his astral projection dart forward and out of him. It crouched at the foot of the platform, hands bridged to give his real self a boost. Aided by the leg up and by Wessex’s waiting hand, he pulled himself up to the Ascended door.
And his projection ran for the basement after Amalia, calling after her to wait.
Why not both? Ronin gives himself a boost onto the platform, then sends his projection to the basement after Amalia.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Random Event - 06-26-2020
Awww, more teamwork. How lovely.
As Ronin 's astral self slides down the stairs, the potential for disaster is high. We all know how well the Star has done with stairs in this place. However, he manages it (disappointingly) with boyish ease and joins owlmalia at the entrance to the basement. The screams from within seem to be growing fainter as the life within seems to fade. Should they open the door it will be to a pitch dark room, heavy with the smell of blood. Even Ronin's antlers, if he shifts to include them, cannot permeate this magical blackness.
Above, Wraith and Star are confronted with a door seemingly only Wessex can open.
[say]I offer you great gifts...but they are not plentiful. Leave the man behind, and I shall reward you...[/say] The monster's voice filters through, sounding treacherous and amused.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Ronin - 06-26-2020
Astral!Ronin - besides being very proud at getting down the stairs - was already fashioned with his antlers (he didn’t dare let go of that luxere part of him whilst Longnight was still in full swing). So when he reached out to open the door, and they peered into the darkness and his light did nothing to penetrate it, he was suitably confused. But the stench of blood was heavy on the air, and he took a deep breath before stepping inside. [say]”Hello?”[/say] he called.
Above, the real Ronin quickly relayed this information to Wessex (about the dark, the blood, the general spookiness) and then their favourite horrific monster spoke out again. It was obvious, what it was trying to do, but... it wasn’t Ronin’s call. [say]”I smell a rat,”[/say] he muttered to the Ascended.
Astral!Ronin enters the spooky dark room. Real Ronin tells Wessex what’s going on with Amalia, and cautions against listening to the monster.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Wessex - 06-27-2020
Her head tilts to one side as she listens to what Ronin says about the downstairs. It does indeed seem like a diversion, and she wouldn’t put it past the Monster to know exactly what would call Amalia downward and herself upward. Then again, this, too, is a pretty diversion to get the strongest away from the herd.
If it were someone else at her side, she might have agreed and taken the risk that what was inside was worse than what was talking to them. As it stands, she can’t. Won’t. Tilting her head up to talk to the air around her, the Wraith rejects the conditions of its offer.[say] “You hate me and my kind for being alive and yet you’d give me great gifts? If only I move on alone?”[/say] A softly exhaled heh. It sounds like a trap. Either that, or she's an idiot and is giving up great power for the sake of future goodwill between them. God, adulting sucks.[say] “No. We go together.”[/say]
Looking at the door, she begins to see if she actually can open it.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Amalia - 06-27-2020
With Ronin here and also above Amalia breathes somewhat easy. Unsettling as the darkness is, she knows she is in a unique position to travel through the Spire. Trapping the others in the basement is far from what she wants.
Shifting back to human form, the girl extracts her staff from her bracer. She keeps the owls eyes in an attempt to permeate the darkness, and lets her ears shift to the qilin's, adopting that creature's fiery tail as well. Before she enters she looks for a rock, debris, anything to prop into the doorway, to keep the thing from slamming shut.
And then, successful or not, the Shield steps into the dark. [Say]"Hello?"[/say] she echoes astral! Ronin's call, [say]"We're here to help you."[/say]
Amalia also enters the spooky dark room, though she firsr tries to find a rock to stop the door from closing.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Random Event - 06-29-2020
[say]"I never said I hated you."[/say] The monster rumbled from some indistinct position outside of the Spire. [say]'You are wise not to trust me...but then, I have something you want. Do you really doubt yourself so much that you need that tagging along with you?"[/say] It asked further with a sneer.
Indeed
How clever of
[say]"Pl..e.ase..."[/say] The voice is weak and empty. It sounds as though it's coming from straight ahead, the words echoing against walls which must be quite close. The rattle of chains sounds again as the figure seems to be trying to move—or stand—but without much success. Still Ronin's light does nothing to permeate the darkness.
24 hours.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Wessex - 06-29-2020
Let the monster think it doubt, let it underestimate her for the future; she has nothing to lose by letting it think her weaker than she is. Wessex grasps the doorknob and opens the door enough wide enough for a single person to enter a time, lest something be there to either jump out or attack them. She steps inside, standing just inside the threshold, taking in the room and what it holds. Still cautious, the Wraith steps close enough to send her shadow to touch the orb, and if nothing bad happens, to wrap itself protectively around the glowing ball and bring it back to her waiting hands.
---------------
Wessex opens the door and sends her shadow to take the orb off the pedestal and bring it back to her
RE: cleverly and quietly - Amalia - 06-29-2020
The voice continues to call from within the darkened room, the source of it still invisible but responsive, alive. Glancing over uncertainly at Ronin, Amalia considers her options. [say]"I can't see anything. One of us should stay in view of the door..."[/say]
Trailing off, the Shield reaches up to unwind her scarf from around her neck. The fabric isn't long enough to make much of a rope, but it's knitted and a worthy sacrifice for the cause of not getting trapped in the Spire. Giving the astral projection an edge of the unspooling garment, Amalia looks seriously at Ronin. [say]"I'm going to go in deeper. Hold onto this. I'll pull it four times if I need help."[/say]
Without waiting for him to answer, Amalia walks further into the room. This was her terrible idea, and she cannot risk him being lost in the dark with her. [say]"I'm coming to help you. Keep talking - who are you? How did you get here?"[/say]
Amalia unspools her scarf and asks Ronin to hold one end and stay in view of the door. She goes in deeper and looks for the source of the voice.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Ronin - 06-29-2020
[say]”Be careful.”[/say] Ronin’s projection hardly needed to say it but it felt necessary nonetheless, and he took hold of her scarf and stood obediently near to the door. Still radiating star an luxere-light (for all the good it was doing), he tried to peer in after Amalia. Her voice echoed out to him, and he could only hope he wouldn’t have to swoop in and get them both out of there if it turned dangerous. It seemed the sort of thing to turn dangerous.
Conversely, up on the platform the real deal Ronin could only furrow his brow at being referred to as that, half thinking of informing the monster that his ears worked perfectly fine, thanks. But even his jovial petulance reminded him of how unhinged he must have become, to find amusement in a place like this. [say]”I’ll keep watch,”[/say] he said to Wessex instead, turning to gaze out at the Spire and doing just that.
Both Ronins stand guard.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Random Event - 06-29-2020
Wessex's shadowy tendrils sweep right through the orb. Whether or not it is because there is no light strong enough to cast a thick shadow, or if this is some trick of the monster, is uncertain. It is most likely the latter, and if so, it is more than likely that it's drawing to draw her towards the center of the room.
[say]"H..er..e..."[/say] The voice croaks towards Amalia. The thing, whatever it is, is only a few feet away. All she need do is step forward, reach down, and they'll be in her arms. It seems as though there ought to be more to it than that, and yet...? There are the chains to deal with though.
Good job looking so dashing Ronin, though perhaps you might lend a hand. Either of you.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Amalia - 06-29-2020
[say]"Okay. Keep talking. What's your name?"[/say] Carefully she takes another step forward, reaching out into the dark with tentative, searching hands. She prays that it will be flesh and not teeth that greet her, that she has not once again led them astray. [say]"Are you hurt? Can you move?"[/say] As surely as she looks for the person she also seeks the chains, not sure how she's going to break them but knowing that she must. Jigano's earth magic still simmers in her shield, and though she doesn't know if it will be enough, she figures it's worth a try.
But she doesn't want to do it until she can confirm - until she knows this isn't a trick cast out by the Voice. [say]Are you and Wessex safe?[/say] she calls back silently to Ronin, hoping he can hear her still. [say]I think I found them. I'm going to make sure they're human and then... and then we'll get out of here.[/say]
Somehow.
Amalia tries to help the individual up/figure out their chain situation
RE: cleverly and quietly - Wessex - 06-29-2020
Of course it isn’t that easy. Nothing during LongNight ever is, and as her shadow goes through the orb, Wessex is beginning to have second thoughts about the matter, trying to weigh the dubious intention of the Monster versus whatever… survival instinct? She has left.
And yet the creature had said she must have courage. So without turning back to see what Ronin’s doing, she continues moving towards the center of the room, the need for something to help the Ascended better than her sense of self-preservation.[say] “If I die in here, don’t let the heralds murder my whole race,”[/say] she yells back to him, partially in jest, but partially because Wessex knows she is either really brave or really stupid, and quite possibly, both.
[say] If you kill the Voice’s chosen one, She will end all of you,[/say] Wessex thinks to the Monster, you know, just in case it could hear, and just in case it was able to be reasoned with. It's a good time for a bluff, if there ever was one. Reaching out to touch the orb, and more than ready to teleport away if things seem to go wrong, Wessex allows her fingers to touch the light.
---------------
Wessex does a dumb and touches the orb.
RE: cleverly and quietly - Ronin - 06-29-2020
Listen, looking pretty was on his list of special skills somewhere, he was sure of it. But fine, if you insist. Glancing into the room with Wessex, he was going to suggest that touching the orb was a thoroughly terrible idea, but then she was already doing it. [say]”I’ll do my best,”[/say] he assured her, braced against the door and holding out a hand for her. [say]”I’m right behind you. Once you get it, grab hold - just in case this thing tries to trap you in here.”[/say]
[say]There’s a door only Wessex could open. That... thing is trying to get her to go ahead alone. We’re... well, we’ll see how we are in a sec.[/say] The message was delivered to Amalia hastily, whilst his projection held fast to the scarf, ready to pull her out if need be. [say]”If you can point out the chains, I can try to break through them with a starbolt,”[/say] he offered, though it would be difficult in the impenetrable darkness.
Ronin holds out a hand for Wessex and braces against the door. He also offers to break the chains for Amalia with a starbolt.