182 lines
12 KiB
Text
182 lines
12 KiB
Text
Upon returning to the BLACK demense, you see there has been a significant change. The trees have regained their color and foliage since the last time you were here. You can now see it in its full splendor as a lush green nighttime forest, sounds and all. And, the area is literally crawling with animals and insects.
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You ALSO see a FAR more clear cut path through this dense forest, where it appears several dozen trees have been cut down and removed, in the exact same direction of where your encounter with Cassius occurred.
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*BEHIND THEM*
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The lumberyard has also changed, as you see the pallots of rotten wood are now gone, many of them replaced with brand new wood.
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-----
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*LUMBERYARD*
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The uniforms inside are clean, the tools are all recharged, and there are some paper punch cards lying on a rack on the wall saying people have come in and out almost every day since your encounter.
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You DO spot some old claw marks in the walls of the building, large and deep in the concrete and metal. But other than that, everything else seems to be in order.
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-----
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*TOWARD CASSIUS' HOME*
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For the most part, the creatures around you (that you know are watching you) seem to leave you alone as you travel down the "beaten path." You will see an occasional bat or snake cross your path going from one part of the forest to the other, but they overall pay you no mind.
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It takes significantly less time this time to make it to the clearing, where you now see a brand new 2-story cabin, complete with a full front porch, open wood windowsills, and lit candles illuminating the living room.
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The back side of the house directly connects to a thickly interlaced wall of trees, acting like a natural fence.
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(INVESTIGATE ROLL)
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The inside looks surprisingly normal, almost unsettlingly so. Everything is made of wood, including the floors, and everything looks master level handcrafted.
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*CHECK THE DOOR*
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The door doesn't have an actual lock, and is easy to push open. But inside the door is pitch black nothingness, a complete contrast from the view in the window.
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*ONCE THEY GO INSIDE*
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The door slowly closes behind you all with a soft clatter, and everything around you is pure darkness.
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You see a small flickering light in the distance, the tiniest of flames, and it is approaching slowly.
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It is a flame of a candle on a handheld candle stand, being held by Striker. And he is wearing a blue and white vertical striped night shirt with a matching nightcap. You can also smell the strong aroma of coffee coming from a cup you just noticed was in his other hand.
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"Oh, if it isn't the Kings of Kings, gracing my Master's brand new home in the dead of night, completely uninvited and unannounced... you missed the housewarming party~"
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*DM/REGALIA/CHALLENGE*
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"Oh, then your time couldn't be better~ He awoke when the sun went down, and is out back working on... something or other."
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He steps past your group, revealing a single wooden door behind him in the distance of the seemingly infinite darkness. "A bit of free advice, tread VERY carefully from here. My master's home is not so kind to tresspassers..~"
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His candle suddenly goes out, and you are left in the darkness, your only company the door that you can SOMEHOW still see.
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*OPEN THE DOOR*
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You find yourselves surrounded by forest once again, but this time feels a bit different. The trees are much closer together out here, some of them mere inches apart, seeming to form walls. And in this manner, you can sort of see there is a pathway leading through the trees, revealing itself to be a tree labyrinth.
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*IF THEY LEAVE THROUGH THAT DOOR*
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You find yourself back out at the front side of the house, and the door shuts behind you. Now, you physically cannot pull it open at all.
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*FOLLOW THE PATH* (WILL ROLL)
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As you walk through the path, you notice several sets of beady little red eyes following you, and they all seem to be glowing. You see a thick gathering of these eyes inside the wall of what appears to be a dead end, and (lowest roller) is feeling a little... off.
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(THIS IS A COMPEL EACH PLAYER WILL DO)
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*THE PLAYER WILL SEE AND HEAR THINGS*
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*THEIR TROUBLE WILL MANIFEST AROUND THEM*
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*THEY MUST NOW CONFRONT THEIR TROUBLE DIRECTLY*
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*WHOLE TEAM FIGHTS IT TOGETHER IF POSSIBLE*
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*REPEAT FROM LOWEST TO HIGHEST ROLL*
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*AFTER CONQUERING*
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You turn the corner, and you find a large wooden door surrounded by trees, the first sign of any kind of change you have seen since you started. AND, it resembles the wooden door you walked through when this journey started.
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*IF THEY APPROACH*
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(NOTICE Roll) You hear loud and squishy footfalls in the distance behind you.
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Around the edges of the trees, you see a slowly creeping forward puddle of inky blackness. It moves like tar, slowly coating everything in its touch, and you see the familiar sight of the trees losing their color as it approaches.
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*PUSHING ONE AT A TIME*
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The door is straining but will not budge.
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You spot a large black limb round the corner, stepping into the ooze it itself is coated in. And you see what resembles a head, but it has no face.
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It is exactly what it looks like.
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*ALL PUSH ON THE DOOR TOGETHER*
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The door suddenly pops open, and your group falls into a field of grass, the door slamming behind you all right in front of the creature.
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*BEHIND THEM*
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You watch the wooden door bow out form a sudden slam, clearly the creature running into it. You also recognize the general pattern of the house attached to it as Cassius' cabin, closed off by a tight wall of trees, which means you finally made it into his backyard.
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*ALL AROUND*
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The yard itself is well maintained. The grass is lush but cut low, the trees in the yard are formed up in such a way that resembles a natural fence, and the tops of the trees have a clear and open pathway to the nighttime sky.
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You also spot a large campfire in the center of the yard, its smoky trail leading straight up and out of the opening at the top of the trees. And there is plenty of open space to sit around it.
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You hear soft repetitive scraping noises from the opposite side of the fire, a person sitting behind its open flame just out of view.
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You find Cassius sitting behind it, a large chunk of wood leaning against him and a draw knife in hand, scraping away at the wood & letting the scraps fall into the flame. There is also a pile of pre-carved wood pieces a few yards behind him.
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He looks a bit different this time, no longer looking emaciated but still overall on the lithe and lanky side. He now wears a Gothic style shirt with an open V in the front & bell sleeves just past the elbow, the left half black and the right half white. The black half blends in perfectly with the matching black pants and shoes, his fur offsetting the fabric with a moonlit sheen.
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*IF THEY APPROACH / CALL OUT*
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He pauses to look up at your group, his gaze empty and uncaring. He then resumes carving away at the wood, but he at least acknowledges you. "I see you found my new home."
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-----
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*WHAT WAS THAT LABYRINTH*
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"You have your home defense, I have mine."
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*WHAT WAS THAT CREATURE*
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"You would call it a... guard dog."
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*WHY ARE YOU CARVING WOOD*
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"It... used to fill the void."
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-----
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From within the light of the flame, you see Cassius' shadow extend and pull itself off the ground, wrapping itself around the piece of wood leaning against him before lifting it into the air.
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It reaches out to grab each piece of wood in the pile as well, lifting them into the air, pulling them all together in an organized fashion.
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Cassius stands and steps away from the flame for a moment, as his shadow lowers a brand new masterfully crafted wooden throne behind him, the backrest and seat made from handcrafted wicker.
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He sits in it and lies back, immediately propping his head on one fist while its elbow rests on the chair arm. "State your business."
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*REGALIA*
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He leans forward in his throne. "You dare to tresspass on the property of Cassius Summus, disturb my work, and take away the modicum of peace I only JUST reclaimed... to challenge me for my Regalia."
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He stands as his shadow stretches out from behind him again, envelops his new throne, and pulls it straight down into the ground, through a large black shadow portal. He pulls his black dagger out, holding it underhanded, taking a loose combat stance. "Consider your impending loss... MY compensation."
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-----
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AFTER THE FIGHT
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*IF THEY LOSE*
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He stands before you, both arms hanging in front of himself loosely, his hand barely holding his blade. "You are... stronger than you appear."
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His body cracks and crunches in a terrifying manner, his limbs and joints jamming themselves back into place, until he resumes a normal stance. "I intended to end you all tonight... but... I have been convinced to show mercy."
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He walks past your group, heading toward his home. "You may see yourselves in OR out of my home safely... for now."
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-----
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*IF THEY WIN*
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Cassius suddenly kneels, dropping his weapon at his feet, doubled over in pain. "This... is unexpected..."
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His eyes will suddenly glow bright red, staring you all down. "I intended to remove each of your heads upon your defeat."
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He closes his eyes, opening them to reveal their normal yellow hue. "But... you have bested me. I am honor and duty bound to follow the rules I have been tasked with."
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His body will begin to crack and crunch in a terrifying way, his shoulders popping into place and his joints crunching loudly, until he resumes a normal stance, although his outfit is now in shreds. He picks up his weapon and pitches it directly at your group, causing it to land between (PLAYER)'s feet.
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"The price to keep this Dusk Kris safe form the Crooked King was a year of endless pain and solitude. Do not waste either mine or Striker's efforts."
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He walks past your group, opening the door of his home. "You may exit the way you came. Safely. For now." He walks through the door and lets it shut behind himself quietly.
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-----
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*EITHER WAY*
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*IF THEY USE THE BACK DOOR*
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This time, you actually see the inside of a relatively normal log cabin. All the furniture inside is there, there are candles every so often to light the way, and there is a fairly clear path leading to the door.
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As you walk through the living room, you spot the throne-like chair Cassius made sitting in the living room. You also spot a massive spider web hanging from the ceiling, and Striker lying within it, smiling wide to a creepy degree.
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His web is horribly off pattern, his mug is lying on the floor bone dry, and his breath reeks of coffee. "Oh ho ho, you made it out alive, that's so greeeaaat~"
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He hiccups, shaking his head quickly to clear his thoughts. "I thought for sure Master Cassius wouldn't let you walk out of here alive, or at least would throw you to his guard dog~"
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*WHAT WAS THAT*
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Striker will awkwardly turn so he is hanging from the web, slurring his words a little. "Mm.. when you entered Master Cassius' home, you were confronted by the manifestations of your own nightmares and insecurities, were you not?"
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*IF YES*
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"That is exactly what it was. A manifestation of a nightmare, tamed and turned into a guard dog~"
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*CASSIUS' NIGHTMARE*
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Striker suddenly bursts out into laughter, rolling around in his web for a moment before it breaks and he flops into the couch with a heavy THUD. "OEUF... that's one way to sober up..."
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He sits upright and looks up to your group, sighing softly. "Master Cassius has no nightmares to speak of. He is incapable of experiencing fear. Or sadness, or joy, or... anything at all. His body, mind, and soul are as barren and empty as the dark magic he commands."
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*WHO'S NIGHTMARE*
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"Is it not so obvious?"
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*STRIKER'S NIGHTMARE*
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"I am the closest thing Master Cassius has to a friend. As such, I feel it is my responsibility as a piece of him to... experience such things for him. And he made use of my one and only nightmare as his guard dog. Which means he still has use for me, in some small manner."
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*THAT IS HORRIBLE*
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"You wouldn't understand. I am not a being like him or you, I am a magical construct given consciousness that has outlived his purpose. He could end my existence and reclaim what has been given to me with a thought, and yet he hasn't... curious, is it not?"
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"So long as I have the privilege of existing, I intend to live it fruitfully on my own terms. Spinning my physical & verbal webs, earning coin for my own selfish desires, and enjoying my Master's company, whether he likes it or not."
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