Rick, REALLY just wanting to finally get this over with, strides past everyone else within this hallway where every inch they had to cover found itself to be trapped in some way, ready to just grab this second to last disk as he snatches it from the pedestal.

And just barely hears the little "click" that comes from the pedestal as he does.

"Heh," comes the dry sound from the scowling mask within that room.

On instinct, he ducks and rolls and manages to escape the worst of the ensuing explosion, but still takes half of 12 damage.

After the initial explosion, Asimi and Sylvia at least both coming over to inspect and make sure that Rick is okay, and the disk is finally collected. Except there's no translating for the little fae this time. Whatever word is supposed to be written upon this disk, it has been fully scratched out, making for the now five disks to be "Blood", "flesh", "breath", "eyes" and "???"

(Cladmir, you can also do rolls on your character page which is what Rodgeir is doing. Sometimes easier cause I think you can just click the stat you want to roll etc and it keeps a history there, but I don't mind in this case)

Soon after, under instruction to get to the last room Cladmir heads back, briefly gazing out for Nuria... Who offers a brief, perhaps slightly forced smile in Cladmir's direction as she's still tending over the two unconscious guards that have been tied up. It seems like they are slowly beginning to stir but aren't quite awake yet. He's soon directed further to the last room they still need to investigate, which the little floating gal explains to be marked as "Tragedy". The door inside is a small hallway leading to a relatively small room with a stage, a crying mask hanging above it. And as the warrior proceeds into the "audience" section of the room, does said mask begin to speak.

"Oh, oh... You kept me for last..? How sad..! But I suppose it only makes sense... Who would want to enter this room?"

"Oh, but if you really insist on this path, you have to take the stage... Oh, but it shouldn't be you, no, no, you really wouldn't like it, it'd be terribly sad..."

Sylvia follows into the room a moment after, causing the mask to speak up again.

"Oh no, no, definitely not you. All so sad..."

(Oh, almost forgot...)

7

Asimi also gives a quick medical glance over Breldo and Cladmir, but shrugs.

"That poison got you both good, but not sure what to do about it... Doesn't seem like it's too bad..?"

((What do you mean? I just make random numbers up!

Everything Rick did before he does again except.))

Rick stands, gives the mask his rudest of gestures first.

"Rick hates this place friend Sylvia."

On hearing that Cladmir and Sylvia are too sad he nudges Khond but tells Cladmir,

"Rick thinks not Bandit should get up there before Rick completely loses Rick's patience."

He starts applying some soothing oil to his burns while he glares.

"That hallway was particularly nasty," Sylvia agrees, glad to have hung well back with how little she trusted that hallway. Still, now she's looking at this new stage...

"So if comedy showed ones most... Humorous moment. Is this one going to show one's saddest..?" 

Something about that seems to make the fae think. 

"Rick's saddest moment was coming down here."

He rubs his only, now well burnt, ear gently with oil.

Khond, hanging back from the doorway just in case, calls out, "If it's anything like Comedy, you'd best be able to embrace your trauma when you step up onto that stage!  I only did so well because I can laugh at myself for being a fool!"

"Oh... Oh... I think you're more likely to find these events in my brother's room, oh..."

"Though I feel like yours might somehow be very very sad too, oh..."

"Oh, I'm sure there's plenty of tragedy in everyone's lives.  Embarrassment I can embrace, but true distress and grief that denotes a tragedy is beyond me to truly overcome, and I'm hardly in any condition to put on a performance.  I'll have to waive the chance to run this show."

(( Totally forgot about the poison damage -- HP adjusted accordingly. ))

Cladmir is totally freaked out by even more weirdness happening, and unfortunately for him, he has always taken the path of keeping his head down and follow orders and not think too hard about it when facing difficulties, so upon hearing Rick's slick command he's going to "get up there" onto the stage.

Cladmir, if he's good at one thing, it is blindly following orders as he soon steps up on the stage. It takes only moments for the mask to begin it's by now usual wailing in response.

"Oh, oh... Your tragedy... It has been a long time in the making..."

At this point, a scene starts playing out, that refuses to stop; be it the young warrior protesting, or even stepping off the stage, it all starts with a ghostly apparition of what he thinks is supposed to be himself rushing on ahead. While the walls show spectral images of what seems to resemble woods, another two spectral figures loiter behind, faces indistinct, but clearly wearing the same armor, their voices soon rising up.

"There he goes again, always so eager."

"Real dedicated to the cause that one."

"Hasn't he only been on patrols? Has he ever even seen anything?"

"Oh, you've not heard? General recruited him after an... Incident. Basically a pet project."

"Ah. Incident huh? Was it... You know?"

"I think so."

"...Does he know?"

"You'd think he would be so eager if he was?"

The scene shifts. The walls now show images of what faintly could resemble a study of sorts. An older man in heavy plate, neatly trimmed beard and many royal decorations upon his armor, watches a younger Cladmir swing a wooden sword around.

"You have been improving your form. At this rate we'll make you a hero yet," the older man says, as the boy pipes up in response.

"You keep saying that, but when are you gonna send me out? I want to save people!"

"...I'm sure you will one day."

Again, the scene shifts. This time, the visage gets more dreary; a reflection of a ruined village, broken buildings and fire. A much younger Cladmir is crying, crouched down next to now two indistinct figures.

"Mom! Dad! Please wake up! Please!"

Of course, there was no response. Only the sound of heavy footsteps slowly getting closer.

"Please, you have to get up! Before the monster comes back!"

There's the sound of an opening door. The terrified boy practically falls on his back, crawling away, only for a now slightly familiar voice to speak up.

"...Easy there kid. I'm no monster."

The so called "Commander" entered the scene once again. He briefly glanced at the clearly dead people on the ground, then the terrified kid. A long moment of hesitation seemed to pass. One hand rested on the blade at his side, before slowly dropping loose.

"...My people are taking care of the monster right now."

The kid sniveled, only slow sobbing escaping, causing the fighter to slowly drop to one knee.

"...I'm sorry for what happened."

"If I told you that magic is what caused this. How would you feel?"

The boy's tears were soon turning into something else. "I... I hate magic!"

The knight nodded. A hand stretched out.

"Then maybe you should come with me."

For a moment, people might believe that the loss just experienced was Cladmir's tragedy.

But if it was, why would this stage play have bothered to show everything else?

The scene shifts one last time. This time, the walls flicker with a reflection of the village, but merely off in the distance. There is no young boy this time around. Just that selfsame commander, and another faceless guard. Was this something Cladmir was even supposed to be able to know?

"You're certain?"

"Yes. They found some kind of artifact, and they've been willingly abusing it."

"And it is not an isolated event in that we just have to find the one person?"

"That's a bit more uncertain... He's got some followers at least, that's how we found out. A small group following him, but we don't know if it's just that, or if it's half the village by this point."

The commander responded with a simple "I see," before a long moment of silence. Whoever his cohort was remarked that it's "Too risky," after a few longer moments of the decorated man glancing toward the village in the distance, does he take a few steps forward. His hand reaches out for an amulet around his neck.

"...Oh, lord of sleep.  Oh, king of nightmares,"

Shadows are starting to distort. This somehow feels different than the illusions so far, as minor gusts of wind whip around the room.

"This village has been tainted by sin. I implore you. Purge it."

Shadows coalesce into a terrifying figure. All the more terrifying for the man upon the stage, for he'd recognize the terror that once destroyed his home.

And as it visage snaps upon him unlike all those other illusions, before a terrifying roar, this is more than just an illusion.

(Initiative rolls everyone!)

Init: 7

(( Rolling with disadvantage here since it seems appropriate for Cladmir to be shocked and confused. ))

19

(( But his soldier training kicks in!  And so does his burning rage! ))