Between the Fourth and Fifth events each character who made it through was given a puzzle box to solve. By deciphering the symbols, working together, or simply getting lucky at pressing the various points in the right order you can find a way to open it. Within a small glowing orb echoes and releases a melody to each of you who solved it:
“The end is near, so close at hand.
To reach it you must trek across this barren land.
Search for the place it has destroyed,
For only there can you escape the void.
One boon only are you bestowed
for your journey through our abode.”
Mod: Unlike the last event, this one is based upon your roleplaying of your character moreso than your roles. The mods will ask that you describe your characters actions and should they require a roll we will request you perform one. Other than that, however, we will not be requesting your rolls. This event has many different paths and options for each person leaving it up to you to determine which you choose to follow. Understood?
Grace: Got it!
Mod: Alright. In just a moment we'll begin
Mod: [ You awake in a room that feels lightly foggy. Your head is still a bit drowsy as you look about, and you're not sure how you got there or why you are there, and yet it feels somewhat familiar to you despite it's bare decorations. It appears like a family home, though isn't quite your own. You see an old woman in a rocking chair, facing the window. She seems to be laughing, or crying softly as she faces away from you. You cannot see her face, but her outline is oddly familiar to you. ]
Grace: Grace rubbed her forehead a bit trying to regain some sort of normal thinking process. Looking around she bit her lip trying to figure out where she was. Though the sound of someone else in the room caught her attention. Grace stood to her feet, her hand hovering close to her wand just in case as she cleared her throat. "Excuse me... are you.. are you alright?" she mumbled out softly trying to get a look at her face.
Mod: [ The woman freezes, and the soft rocking of the chair stops, the house now completely silent. Slowly, it begins to turn, and the face of the woman comes into view. You immediately recognize her as your grandmother, and she has tears running down her face. ]
Grace: Grace's heart stopped seeing the face before her. Looking down she pinched her arm, and looked back up again. Shaking her head she had her own tears swelling in her eyes. "G-Grandma...You.. you're dead.. Why are you here I don't understand?"
Mod: [ The old woman continues to sob ] "Oh Grace... My Grace..." [ she lets out another sob ] "Why? Why are you doing this? Why don't you learn?"
Grace: Grace bit her lip. This wasn't the time to cry. Everything in her wanted to run to her Grandmothers arms, but could she really trust it was her Grandma? "I.. I just wanted to make everyone proud. I can do this, and I can make it out of this, and at this point that's all that matters.. I can do this. Y-You'll see."
Mod: [ The old woman shakes her head ] "No, dear, you can't. Family means more than success, or had I taught you nothing?" [ She clutches at her breast, letting lose another sob. ] "My heart aches, Grace... It's... hurt." [ As she moves her hand blood seems to seep through her gown, spreading across her clothing. ]
Grace: Grace felt her knees go weak at her words but she shook her head, this wasn't her grandma, this had to be a trick. "You taught me everything, but you also taught me to be a fighter- that's what I am doing, and I can do this." Grace's eyes moved to her had seeing the blood she flipped and stopped thinking. The vision in front of her was too real. "Grandma!?" She shouted out looking over the blood. "I.. you're dead.. you're dead.. what? I- I don't know what to do."
Mod: "Do? Grace... You did this!" [ her voice comes out horse, raspy, and hurt. Her eyes slowly roll back in her head as she fights to stay awake. ] "You're... to blame..."
Grace: Grace shook her head backing away from her to lean against a wall to keep from falling over, or being sick for that matter. "You're lying! This is just a part of the game." Grace slipped her fingers through her hair holding her head together from losing it completely. "This isn't real... this isn't real... "
Mod: [ as you step back, running your fingers through your hair the room seems to change. A stray strand of hair falls in front of your face and suddenly you are somewhere new. Once again it is familiar, but not somewhere you can easily recognize. Denahi and Shang sit one of the many chairs in the room, talking to each other in hushed tones. ]
Grace: (dear god). Grace had her eyes closed tightly till she felt a strand of hair fall. Her hair was coming back, but it wasn't enough to tickle her nose this way. Nothing less it caught her attention and she was looking straight ahead at the two most important men in her life. "Denahi... S-Shang?" She asked softly keeping her distance from them both.
Mod: [ They seem to ignore your voice. ]
Grace: Grace moved forward a bit trying to catch on to what they were talking about. The games were getting personal, too personal for her liking. Looking around she tried to find something she could throw to get their attention without getting too close to the both of them.
Mod: Roll Wisdom
Grace: Roll:8+1
Mod: [ There are various chairs scattered about the room, along with a table or two. To one wall there appears a super large mirror overlooking the entire room. There doesn't appear to be any small throwable objects, however, aside from the chairs. ]
Grace: "Bloody hell." Grace grumbled before pulling her wand out keeping it in front of her as she moved around the room to keep herself behind a chair or a table as she got closer. "HEY!" she shouted at them hoping to get their attention.
Mod: [ Both of them seem to hear you, turning their faces toward you with a look of disdain. Denahi is the first to speak. ] "What do you want?" [ He seems irritated that he was interrupted from his conversation, or even that he has to speak. ]
Grace: Grace rolled her eyes looking at them. "How the hell am I suppose to know, I was just watching my grandma die, and now I'm here with you two. Or what's suppose to be you two." Looking around again she frowned seeing no door. "I would leave if I could, so might as well see what you two want, or what I have to do to get the hell out of here."
Mod: [ Both of them seem confused before Denahi speaks. ] "Get out of here? You can't get out of here, Grace. None of us can." [ Shang rolls his eyes, crossing his arms and frowning intensely as he looks away from you, not baring the sight. Denahi watches him, then directs his attention back to you. ] "Thanks for that, by the way."
Grace: Grace looked at Shang's reaction first- it stung, causing her to clench her jaw. "It's not really you... you wouldn't be acting this way. I can't speak for Shang, cause I truthfully don't know what's going on with us, but you wouldn't do this. The hell do you mean thanks for that? You're not real." She huffed a bit trying her best not to melt into her tugging heart.
Mod: [ Shang turns, suddenly infuriated and stalks toward you. He's seething in anger as he stares down at you before grasping your arm, hard. ] "We are real, Grace! Does that feel fake to you?! We're real and we're here, stuck, thanks to you!" [ Denahi looks on, angry, though doesn't speak until Shang lets go of your arm with a shove. ] "You betrayed us, Grace. You let us down! You know why the games are so dangerous? They kill off the person in last place! Your losing did this! God, why did you ever put your name into that stupid fire?! What did you ever think you could prove!?"
Grace: Grace gasped loudly feeling his hand on her arm. "Get the hell off me!" She shoulder a bit before holding her wand up. Tears were streaming down her face rather this was really Shang or not, it looked like him, sounded like him, and felt like him. "I-I'm Sorry, but you're wrong. You're both wrong!" She sobbed out looking at both of them, though unsure how to handle another violent outrage of Shang she pointed her wand and spoke as strongly as she could "Stupefy".
Mod: [ Denahi watches as Shang falls down, horror on his face as he rushes forward to his best friend. His own wand is out as he looks in horror at you ] "WHAT THE--WHY?!" [ He glares at you, in horror, with his wand still raised ] "WE NEVER SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED YOU! God! We fucking trusted you, Grace! He trusted you!"
Grace: Grace stood her ground her wand pointed at him. It was hard to see through all her tears a she shook her head. "You're not real! Neither of you are real, Shang would have never grabbed me like that. You would never be pointing your wand at me, This isn't fucking real." Grace didn't realize she was shouting so loud till she felt the sting in the back of her throat. Looking over at Shang's body she sobbed out a little more. She knew he was fine if it was really him, but she quickly snapped back to Denahi ready to defend herself.
Mod: [ Denahi stands his ground, glaring up at you kneeling protectively over his best friend. ] "THIS IS REAL, GRACE, WAKE THE FUCK UP! IT'S OVER! I'm pointing my wand at you because you hurt my best friend! You two were dating! You liked him, and yet you do this?! You and I were friends, and then you just go and throw our lives away so quickly?! I don't know why I ever thought anything good of you. You just let people down, consistently! You hurt Shang! How is he ever going to trust you again, huh?! How could I ever trust you again?!"
Grace: Grace looked at him with pure rage. "ITS NOT REAL. Oh! We 'were' dating!? We ARE dating. I love him, I love him more than anything you piece of fucking shit. I don't know who you are, but you are not Denahi."Holding her wand tighter she shook her head. "I'm not going to hurt you, but you're not going to hurt me, Stupefy"
Mod: [ As you begin to yell, Denahi's eyes go wary and fill with fear. Your spell leaves your wand, but in an instant a shield goes up about Denahi and Shang, blocking them from your attack. From your left is Thad, wand raised and a look of horror on his face as he views the scene before him. He cast the shield. ]
Grace: (HOLY SHIT) Grace wiped her cheeks quickly stepping back from Thad. "Not you too, please just fucking stop!"
Mod: [ He stands, confused, as he looks between you and the other two ] "What's going on here... ANSWER, NOW!"
Grace: Grace steps back, back enough to where the mirror over looking the room was perfectly in her view to keep an eye on Denahi and Shang. "You're not Thad, I don't have to answer shit to you." Grace kept her wand up her eyes darting to the mirror.
Mod: "What makes you say that?"
Grace: Grace could hardly speak with how hard she was crying looking over the scene in front of her, but she had to keep telling herself it wasn't real. "It's the games, this is all one big game. I don't know what it's for, but it's not real. It's not. My grandma is dead, Shang would never lay a hand on me, Denahi would never yell at me like that, and I'm just waiting for the never you would do to, Thad.. or whatever you are."
Mod: [ Thad looks at you, confused, and then back at the ground where Denahi and Shang were. He looks back at you horribly confused. ] "What games? Grace, are you having another episode?" [ He takes a hesitant step forward, holding both hands open and out to get near you. ] "Hey, it's okay. I just want to know what's going on here... You're really freaking me out. Who are Denahi and Shang?"
Grace: Grace stepped back when he got closer. A caring Thad was always a weakness to Grace, but she wouldn't melt know. "What episode!? What are YOU talking about? I'm in the Olympics - this ... this has to be one of their sick twisted tricks. Looking at Denahi and Shang she shook her head. "You know them damn well, don't even. Just ... stay back!"
Mod: [ Thad watches you take a step back and stops. He continues to hold both of his hands out as you yell, looking more worried by the second. ] "The O-Olympics? What Olympics, Grace?" [ His eyes trail off to Shang and Denahi once more, but there is nobody there. ] "Grace, I'm not sure what you're talking about. Please, just... Just calm down before you hurt yourself!"
Grace: Grace shook her head as she stepped back more. "Yes the fucking Olympics! I know you live under a rock, or whatever body comes around next, but you know about this!" Grace followed his eyes and gasped a bit o herself. "Where did they go?" Maybe they were fake and she passed the Shang and Denahi part. Looking back at Thad she shook her head. "I won't be hurting myself, I've done enough of that my lifetime."
Mod: [ Thad looks at you very confused and still worried. ] "Grace, there are no Olympics! This is just another episode. Please! Please snap out of it!" [ She mentions hurting herself but he just looks all the more worried ] "Grace, just--just put down the knife, okay? if you're not going to hurt yourself, put it down."
Grace: Grace shook head laughing a bit. "Please stop making it seem like Thad is caring." She shouted hoping who ever was behind this was listening. Frowning she looked at him shaking her head. "I'm not holding a knife! The hell?"
Mod: [ You look down at your hand and rather than a wand you see a knife, bloodied. Thad looks very concerned as you yell up at nobody. ] "Grace, please! You got to take your meds! Just--Just calm down and we can give them to you, okay? We can have you take them and then things will be better, alright? Please, Grace..."
Grace: Grace screamed looking at the knife as she dropped it steeping away from it. "My wand, where is my wand!?" Grace looking around freaking out now that she had no protection over herself. "I'm not taking anything you're giving me. I can't trust you! No!"
Mod: "W-Wand?! Fuck. Grace, who do you think you are right now?! Where do you think you are?"
Grace: "I'm Grace Throne, a competitor in the Olympics! And I don't know I just woke up here to my grandmother freaking out!"
Mod: "Grace you're not in any Olympics! You've been here for six years! Since--Since the delusions. You're grandmother is dead. You killed her a few months ago when you got out. We--We all thought you were better and... Look, Grace, you have to stop this, please! You'll never get out if you keep up this--this magician delusion!"
Grace: "This isn't some delusion! YOU'RE THE DELUSION! YOU'RE NOT REAL!"
Mod: "Grace, trust me! I am real! I'm Thad! Don't you--Don't you remember me?!" [ he takes a few more steps forward ] "Grace, I don't know what your seeing but you're in Stonehearst. You're not at a school, you're in a ward. The court ordered you to be here. Please, Grace, just listen!"
Grace: "Of course I bloody remember you! I know who you are, or at least who you're trying to be. And I get this stupid task is throwing everyone I love at me, and ... " Grace watched him get closer and she pulled a chair in front of her stopping him. "Don't get near me! You're lying! Or else Shang and Denahi would be saying this to me too! Before you put a shield over them. Explain that then, hm? You bursting in here, protecting them, asking what was going on, and then look they're bodies are GONE. So you just listen, and you just stop."
Mod: Roll Wisdom, cause player knowledge is not the same as Character knowledge
Grace: Roll: 19+1
Mod: Alright. Just be aware that you cannot use Player Knowledge to affect the Character.
Grace: Opps, ohkie dokie.
Mod: I mention this because your character has NO proof that this is fake. It feels very, very real.
Grace: I understand, my b .
Mod: "There's no task, Grace!" [ He takes a few more steps nearer to you before the chair is drawn out. ] "There is no Shang and Denahi! I--I don't have a shield." [ he holds out his arm to show you. ] "I asked what's going on because you had a knife, Grace. A knife! you've hurt yourself before, I don't--I don't want it to happen again!"
Mod: [ he looks confused, at the knife ] "Grace... who's blood is that?"
Grace: Grace looked at him and his arms open, she wanted to run into them, but she couldn't. She just shook her head looking own at the knife. "I.. I don' know.. I don't know how I got it.. i just.. I don't know.. " Covering her mouth to muffle the sobs she shook her head.
Grace: "Are you hurt? Did I cut you?"
Mod: [ Thad looks about the room, eyeing the different things within it. He's looking for someone or something. ] "No... I'm not. Who are Denahi and Shang, Grace? Where are they?"
Grace: Grace looking him over as well, the idea alone of her ever hurting him like that made her cringe. "Shang is my boyfriend... a-and Denahi is like a brother.. they were right there.. They were here! And yelling an so angry with me."
Mod: [ Thad looks worried, and scared, but he cautiously takes a step toward you and holds out a hand. ] "Take my hand, Grace. We're... we're going to try to find them, okay? We need to--to make sure they're okay."
Grace: Grace looked at his hand, and then looked around the room again. Looking up at him she shook her head. "I'm scared.. what if I take your hand and you disappear too? Or I hurt you? Or... o-or you hurt me?
Mod: [ He seems concerned ] "I don't--- I dont know. Just--Just promise me you won't okay?"
Grace: Grace bit the inside of her cheek and slowly started to reach out stopping just shy of his hand. "I wont... Promise me you won't?"
Mod: [ he nods. ] "I'm not going to hurt you. Promise."
Grace: Grace took another second looking at his hand before lightly setting her hand in his.
Mod: [ He takes your hand, slowly leading you across the room, eyeing the area around you two. As you reach a door, he tugs to try to pull it open. It doesn't budge. ] "Shit." [ He tugs a bit more, far more desperately ] "No, No, no!" [ he knocks against the door ] "Hey! Hey let us out!"
Mod Observer Ghan was timed out
Grace: Grace was on edge, but she leaned into him more and more as they moved around the room. Mostly hiding behind him. "What do you mean it won't open!?" Grace freaked a bit as she put her hands on the handle pulling with him.
Mod Observer Ghan joined the chat
Mod: [ Suddenly, a crash and a sprinkler system goes on. The water pools in the bottom of the room as Thad struggles against the door trying to get out. ]
Grace: Grace looked around at the water and than at Thad. "Where is my wand? Do you have your wand? Thad... please tell me you have something."
Mod: [ Thad pauses, looking at her with worry ] "Grace, there's no magic. Wands don't-- Wands don't exist. That's... that's a part of your delusion."
Grace: Grace shook her head as she started to bang on the door. "I'm not dying in here." Grace looked around for any windows or any other escape out of here.
Mod: [ The water rises faster than you would think, and the chairs and tables begin floating. Gleaming on the floor is the knife you had earlier, still sunk at the bottom. Thad leaves your side to go bang on another door. Suddenly, off to the far side of the room you see two floating bodies, bloodied, and clearly dead. ]
Grace: Grace looked at Thad and felt a wave of panic, he couln't die like this. He couldn't die with her, of all people Thad couldn't. Grace screamed seeing the floating bodies. "Who... who are they!?" She felt a new wave of tears start to form before she caught glance of the knife at the bottom. Taking in a deep breath grace dove down to get the knife.
Mod: [ The water continues to rise, well above your head and approaching above Thad's. The bodies continue to float, though he seems to pay no mind to your shout about them and persists on banging on the doors, looking for a way out ]
Grace: Grace grabbed hold of the knife and moved to the surface. "Thad! Get on one of the tables, please. NOW." Grace pulled on his shoulder to move down to the door trying to pick the lock with the knife.
Mod: [ Thad swims over to the table. the water is rising to the ceiling, now. You struggle to pick the lock with the knife but seem unable. Roll Wisdom. ]
Grace: Roll: 12+1
Mod: [ As you dive under the water to reach the door, you spot the mirror. Something looks odd about it. It almost appears as if it's a two way mirror. ]
Grace: Grace looked up and noticed how quick the water was starting to fill. Going to the surface she went to the table with THad. "THe mirror! We need to break it." was all she said before heading back down to the mirror kicking with all she had. Reaching for one of the chairs she realized with the water around she wouldn't get enough power before the chair to do any damage but she tried anyways before kicking more..
Mod: Roll Strength
Grace: Roll: 17-1
Mod: You can't break it with the chair. Try something else
Grace: Grace took the knife out of her back pocket and started to stab at the window.
Mod: Roll Strength
Mod: Also roll Constitution
Grace: Roll: 10-1
Mod: for Strength or Const?
Grace: That was Strength sorry! Con Roll: 19+2
Mod: Constitution, you feel as if you're running low on air, but you can stay down a bit longer. You slam the knife into the glass and can't quite break it.
Grace: Grace started to freak out before trying to pull apart the frame of the mirror to stab it with.
Mod: Roll Constitution first, and then Strength
Grace: Con: Roll: 11+2 Strength: 18-1
Mod: You manage to grasp the frame of the mirror and rip it free. Your air, however, is nearly out and you can't hold your breath too much longer.
Grace: Grace took a long hold of the frame and stabbed down in the middle of the glass were she had been hitting hoping it was weak enough to shatter
Mod: You Stab at it, cracking it quite a bit. Roll Constitution and Strength again
Grace: Con: 19+2 Strength: 19-1
Mod: You stab once more, shattering the glass right as you run out of air. The water comes pouring out, carrying you through the broken glass and slamming you into the wall behind it, leading to a hallway. As more of the water pours out you suddenly get hit with something as three bodies spill into the hall.
Grace: Grace hit the wall with a gasp, each body was more pain than anything as she gasped for air. Grace remembered the two bodies were already dead before she got out, but Thad... Thad was alive, there was maybe still hope. "Thad... Thad! You have to be okay, you can't die like this.. THAD ANSWER ME."
Mod: [ no response ]
Grace: Grace shook her head. "You don't get to leave me, you don't get to." Shaking her head she tried all she could giving him CPR hoping he would come back.
Mod: [ no response ]
Grace: Grace grabbed a hold of his shirt and shook him. "THAD PLEASE!" Grace pulled his body into her lap holding it close. "please.. Thad.. please wake up."
Mod: [ there's no response. ]
Grace: Grace looked over the dead bodies and shook her head. She couldn't have done this.. looking down the hallway she looked back at them. "I'm sorry.." was all she could get out of her before getting up running down the hallway.
Mod: [ You run down the hall, reaching a pair of double doors that lead out into a grassy field. There are trees, wild flowers, butterflies, and a big bright sun up above. Everything looks beautiful. In the center of the small field is a pedestal. Atop it is a cube, glinting in the sunlight. ]
Grace: Grace looked around trying to take in a deep breath of fresh air. Looking down at her wet cloths she could still see some blood from the knife dropped against her pants but she looked away and saw a cube. Tilting her head she looked around to see if there was anyone around before she started to run towards it.
Mod: [ nothing stops you ]
Grace: Grace looked at the cube for a moment before reaching out to grab a hold of it.
Mod: [ As you grasp hold a cannon fires and a gate at the far end of the field opens up. Your fourth trial has ended. ]
Grace: Grace jumped at the sound before her eyes moved towards the gate and she took off in a hurry to get out of it.
Mod
The puzzle box you are given contains a clue to the next challenge. Solve the box and you may receive a riddle. This will tell you about the next challenge.
This event used heavy illusions and must not be forgotten. Do not forget that your character, while going through all this, believed that this was REAL. It appeared very, very real to them. Your character still remembers their experience and it is not easily forgotten. The event takes place on SUNDAY and after that point we ask that you keep this event in mind when interacting in the future.
