"Oh right, because I chose the people I associate with, not because we all happened to be brought here at the same time by one mysterious force. Fine, I'll leave you to your privacy, but only after this last question. What is it about Light Magic that turns every practicitioner into a self-righteous, holier-than-thou, prejudiced bigot? Is there a section in beginner light magic tomes on how to act like you think you're better than everyone else?" Tobias practically snarls the questions, answering Prismata's rage with his own.
Waiting on Phantus, arguing with a ring.
"
You didn't have to travel with him, though. You could've killed him and put him back where he belonged; Back in the grave. And honestly, are you really asking that question? Innate magic tends to reflect the user's soul or fate, and it is clearly reflecting that I am a shining star that is superior to you idiot Visitors. I don't just think that I'm better than you, I know I'm better than you. You couldn't have defeated without your vile necromancer buddy. I still plan on slitting on every one of you's throats as well- and I can find a way out of here, eventually. Good things come to those that wait!" she scoffs at Tobias, and it appears his rage has convinced her to take him even less serious.
Tobias hears an unfamiliar voice coming from outside the apartment.
"Hmm... Games of chance with a chance of Death? I'm in. And yes, I will start with my Hand."
"
Five card stud. We'll play a single hand to see if you lose a single hand.." Holiday laughs awkwardly at his own corny joke. "
Let me just shuffle a bit here and deal." Holiday shuffles speedily, and Larry makes sure he isn't stacking. It looks like he isn't doing anything shifty so far, and Holiday deals out both of their hands face down. "
Seeing as you bet your left hand, I'll bet... one of these." Holiday produces a huge, pristine diamond that refracts light in an odd way. It must be worth a fortune. "
Well... whaddya got there?" Holiday inquires.
Larry and Holiday flip over their five cards."
You're gonna be missing that hand, I bet." Larry feels a tight grip around his left hand, and just as he looks to see what is crushing it he notices there is nothing there. Blood oozes from the stub as Larry feels the pain of defeat. "
Wanna go again, for something more valuable?" the dealer grins the same slick, devilish grin that he wore before.
From the depths of sunshine and rainbows comes Ringer!
Fear not, for I am now here!
Attempts to befriend a rock.
Together, with this rock, I WILL RULE THE GENERAL 5 FT AREA![
Ringer flickers into existence in the same intersection the other Visitors did. Rather than question how he got here like the rest, Ringer immediately flops to the ground next to a large rock.
He tries to be friendly with it, [5+1]which is a total success.
"Hi Ringer! I've been really sad lately, this is a very cold and very boring place. I'm glad that you came here!" the rock sounds rather excited to have the company of someone who can understand it.
Just as he does this, he hears a voice from someone standing over him. "
Oh, gods. A crazy one... oh well. At least he should make things a little more interesting."
Ringer is lifted to his feet and brought to face Phantus. "
Welcome to the Labyrinth. You must have a lot of questions- If you do, I'd advise making it to that apartment complex over there and looking for Room 909." Phantus points in the direction of his refuge and immediately disappears into nothingness... must have put Whisper's mask back on.
Ringer finally makes it to the damp and waterlogged apartments, friendly rock in hand. He makes casual conversation with it as he ascends the staircase and enters Room 909. The 'druid' of sorts is met with the sight of a large crystalline humanoid, a man with a shiny orange eye arguing with something on his hand, what looks like a robot pirate and some guy in a black coat jerking and oozing some sickening substance from his mouth. Not a comforting sight. To everyone's surprise, Phantus appears out of nothingness and immediately lights himself a cigarette. He seems to be taking a smoke break before beginning the speech.
Continue waiting. Take a brief look at the apartment from where I am. Does anything in particular stand out? Maybe a picture of others trapped in this maze? Probably not that, though, considering they wouldn't have a means to take the picture..
Arcodo lets his eyes wonder around the apartment. He notices
something on the wall that wasn't there before, a yellow runic symbol carved on the wall resembling a backwards '7'. It is only there briefly though, and seems to fade into nothingness even faster now that he is fully looking at it. Nobody else in the room seems to have seen it. It's too late now to try to point it out, though, because it's completely gone as soon as it came.
Ah shit. I think I know where this is going. Use magic perception to check my entire body. Also check the heart again if possible. In the meantime, make my elemental go on another search though this time, outside the building.
As Ringer enters the room, Crimson begins focusing his magic perception on his own body. [2+1]He can't seem to focus, however, and fails to pinpoint any mana clusters at all- not necessarily because there aren't any, but because he can't focus long enough. At the same time, his fire elemental is searching outside the building. Nothing unusual is found, though, and the elemental returns soon again.
Continue waiting, look for weird stuff.
Y4R can't see anything odd about the room. He waits patiently for Phantus to begin his speech.
Rolls:4
Shrug
Bet one skeletal fistful of random chips on the right beetle. That is to say, of course, the beetle on the right, not the correct beetle. Though, if you'd like to make sure my bet was on the correct beetle, that would be fine too.
Seeing his offer of chips, the dealer shakes his head slowly. "Those aren't worth anything here. You must be a first-timer to not know that- essentially, you bet things of actual value here. If you have jewels of some sort, they will work but they won't win you much in return. What we pay the most for is bets of life and limb- souls and hearts, anything key to surviving in other words." the masked dealer chuckles a bit.
Phantus stands before the group, finally finished with his cigarette. He snuffs it out on the corner of a new table near one of the shuttered windows. Before anyone can wonder how he got that, he begins to speak. "
I gathered everyone here to inform you all of not one, but two discoveries. Firstly, the Labyrinth has stopped shuffling. In other words, the places the gates here lead to aren't changing thus far- this is unprecedented, but so is a group of Visitors not losing half of it's members after one Gate. I think that for whatever reason the architects that control this place have decided it's high time they get to finishing their little game. Now this is all just theory, of course, because most of the places out there are uncharted turf. I'm not sure any of the subordinate Gates have stopped shuffling because I haven't been that far yet. Now that you've neutralized two different Planes, I should be able to keep this research on the nature of the Labyrinth up." he pauses to catch his breath. He is quite agitated by this whole situation- manic, even. Phantus starts talking a mile a minute again, "
Secondly, the Hub has anomalous properties of it's own. None of them are detrimental, it actually seems that wounds heal faster when you rest here." Phantus nods to Crimson when saying this. "
If he waits a while, those bones should fix themselves up in six hours or so.", the wizened man produces a silver pocket-watch after saying and taps on it for emphasis. "
You guys are free to go now, I haven't found out much anything besides that. You are, however, free to ask questions and help yourself to more ration packets."
Author
Topic: Abandoned Project. (Read 41100 times)