Her grin widens once you confirm your name. "Aw yes, I knew it!" She continues to shake your hand for a few more seconds longer than necessary. As soon as she notices where your looking at she tilts her head that way to block it. "You're probably wondering why I brought you here!"
In a twirl, she whisks herself away toward the selection of food trays hanging from the ceiling like plant holders. "You want anything?"She asks nonchalantly, taking a tamale from the tray and begins to unwrap it in her hand. "Where'd the rest of your friends go? Lilly said that you were all coming down. Mmm." She says in between bites, "Wow, this is really good." With her other hand, she takes a small plate and balances it on the forearm of the arm with the tamale where she continues to take more food from various trays with the first free hand. "I hope you enjoy the show tonight. You were greatly recommended. Don't forgot to bring your mask too. That's important."
Irna watches you and settles down at the head of the bamboo table. After placing her plate down, she goes up and puts her feet up on the table and leans back with her arms behind her head. "This hotel, man. I always love coming here. Honestly the best time of the year." She looks down at her food and then at you,"Well dig in."
She pours all of the stuff from her plate into the hole carved into the table, pours some gravy-looking sauce into it, then starts lapping it up like a cat. This is normal for tabaxis to do here.
Eduardo was peering over the railings of the bridge to look down, but turns to glare once you said that. His expression soon changes to something more apologetic once he realizes you're both barefoot and without a shield. "Sorry." He peers over back into the room to see that the mimic is gaining speed and slowly morphing from chest to something more gray and... dripping. Uhhggh. "But I had to double check!"
He stops in the middle of the vine bridge and takes a second to look around frantically. "Uhhh. Ummm."But in that second the mimic has gone from one side of the room to nearly out the door.
'Mrhmah' The creature hisses. It, um, now has legs, very spindly crab-like legs. 7 of them in fact. 'Arhrgah.' Its mouth or body or whatever its whole thing is looks like it's melting. Eduardo screams, then slams the door shut with Thaumaturgy. Silence. Then a very familiar upside down pointed limb comes from under the door, scratches at it, and the whole thing, in seconds, oozes through. It's grayish form is like a manta ray with legs and a whole knife drawer set of teeth.
"No way. No way this is real." says Eduardo, struggling to catch his own breath.
"Stupid shoes."He grumbles, quickening his pace. "Not made for hooves." He then leads you over to the edge of the vine bridge towards the main tree elevator. The mimic is no slowpoke either. It is nearly 50 feet from you. You find the elevator shaft empty as the cart is not at your floor yet. "Do- um- have you ever zip-lined before?"
Keeping one eye on the ooze, Macario follows Eduardo towards the elevator. "Of course I have, but this isn't a zipline!" He turns to face the mimic, momentarily grateful to be missing a shield, and stretches out his hand. A ghostly green claw extends out from his palm towards the monster (chill touch, only a 9 to hit even if Eduardo helps, 8 necrotic damage if it does). "I don't have anything to slow it down so whatever we're doing we'd better do quickly!" he says to the tiefling, a note of panic entering his voice. He chances a look away from the mimic to glance around at their surroundings for a way out, or anything or anyone that might be able to help (perception18).
[[ to be clear I am not intending to stand and fight but we seem to be in quasi-initiative right now and I do think his instinct would be to get at least one attack off while they're figuring out an escape plan ]]
Deep breath in. Deep breath out. It really is sunny today. Quite beautiful out, as well. Birds are chirping, eating from the vines... and staring directly at him like he was on display at a museum. Keeping as quiet as possible, he turns his gaze to the bird, reaching out before it flies off. Hm.
Pak'cha's morning activities go as one normally would, getting himself dressed and cleaning himself... until something catches his attention. The faint smell of fruit wafting through the air. Looking around a bit, his antennae straighten a bit once he catches notice of the mask. 'When did this get here?', he thinks to himself. It's a curious design. Not the happiest, most 'pretty' design... but it's something... it smells quite nice too. He should have expected that, anyways. It's a carved-up fruit.
... then he sees the note. 'Don't quite fit in'. He's a hulking brute, sure, but he knows exactly what that means. Daintily lifting the note up, he tosses it onto the floor before fastening the mask on his face. Hm... it fits. Surprisingly. Another scene to his left catches his attention, though. His neighbor bumping into a bellhop... if he could chuckle, he would! Clicking a bit, he pushes the door of his room open and makes his way down towards the lobby.
He looked back as she blocked his view. "Yeah I was wondering it actually."
He looked at the tamales, as he was about to ask for one he heard friends from her mouth. "I'm hearing about friends and crew but I have no idea what you're talking about..."
Then seeing the gravy scene... And the lapping it up (idk what does lapping it up mean- but I'll assume its mixing food.) He kind of changes his mind. Like quickly.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
@Macario
((ahhh no that makes sense. okay um since this is my first time running an encounter I have no idea if this is right. sorry. please let me know if I did anything wrong!))
Eduardo does help but your 9 for chill touch is not enough against the mimic's armor class.
Once realizing that didn't work, Eduardo tugs on the rope pulley that brings up the elevator. "I mean it's close enough! What other option we got?! I got only the suckiest of cantrips."
You are currently at the main bridge of the center middle tree. There are 8 vines bridges extending outward from this center, where one of these bridges is occupied by the mimic. Each bridge leads up to a hotel suite. The elevator is still not at your floor yet. Surprisingly there is a lack of guests and staff at your area. Neither do you spot any animals nearby. There are some vines that hang from the branches of the tree canopy above you but they likely won't hold your weight. About 5 soursop fruits are growing on the branches closest to you and you can pick them up. There is also a wooden slide carved partially into to the wood of the main tree then extends straight down to the waterfall. However, the entrance is three floors below you. You most likely can't reach that (unless you think you can jump it, which would need a good dexterity roll).
"Wait, the slide."He pauses. "Not that one." Eduardo dashes further down the tree's circumference opposite of the main elevator and hits a spot on the bark nearly above his head, which opens up a small door. Tiptoeing and sticking his head in, you see it's actually wide enough to fit a whole body in. There is a series of metal rollers that form a conveyor-belt like contraption. Each floor has an opening like the one he opened and it leads all the way down to the compost pile in the basement of the tree.
He looks back at you. "I've been practically haunting this joint long enough to know all the spots. I mean technically it's a trash chute for the staff. Guess we're staff today." He grins a little at the irony of his own joke. He's not leaving until you're moving as to not leave you behind due to your charm.
Your chill touch has managed to "cling" to your target, meaning the mimic is still scuttling towards you but is slowed down against the pressure from your skeletal hand pushing against it. It has only managed to move 5 feet closer. 'Rhurrgghah' the thing groans as it tries hard to push against your weight.
'Thunk' You see he has thrown a soursop at the monster (leaving only 4 on the branches left), but it completely misses (rolled a 1), only shaking the bridge a little bit before rolling off. It only seemed to make the creature more mad as it shakes harder, growling and trashing against your chill touch. "That didn't work."He mumbles.
The trash chute slide is like this on the inside.
@Pak'cha
((no you're all good!!! there really is no rush! everyone is allowed to post on their own time))
You continue out the door with no interruptions. The bellhop was quite fast and hurried your neighbor into the first elevator before you could even get across the bridge, so you have to wait for the next one as it's the only one on this floor. The other elevator is blocked off with a sign that says 'under renovation.' Just great.
The bird that was watching you earlier has come back, this time landing on the top of the roof of your room. It continues staring. "Psst. Listen."you hear a small voice coming from that direction. Suddenly, the same tabaxi bellhop comes back with a slight shock as she takes a step back once she sees your hulking form right in front of the elevator doors. The mask you're welling doesn't help calm down her nerves at all. "Wows, um you're big." She clutches her hat and grips onto her cart. "And you're up too. Wow okay. I'm bumping into everyone today. Um. Lemme bring you down alright. Okays. Inra would be happy to see you, yeah." She hesitates, then steps aside to let you into the elevator. She takes hold of the crank and starts bringing the elevator down to the lobby. "So. Um how was your trip?" She looks up with a nervous smile and waits for a response, not realizing you can't talk (at least not physically).
It looks like you've made it three floors down when she starts to have trouble with the crank. "Um uh."Furiously tugging at it, while trying to discreet with it, she then finally admits. "I think it's stuck."
@Argos
"Hmm? Oh yeah. Sure. 'Cuz you're part of the act later. A whole magic show! I thought I told you earlier. With the letter. Or maybe not. I forgot." She continues eating. She uses her claw to stir around the contents even more, then scoops it into her mouth. You don't recall the letter saying anything about that. "You know. Your friends. The bug man. The aid worker. The singer. A few others I forgot the names of. You though. You I remember. Hm. You've probably haven't met them yet. Ah no worries, you'll meet them later." She dismisses this question with a wave of her hand.
"This show has been a bust for years now. I'm hoping to spice it up. That's where you guys come in. We need a sacrifice- HAH no I'm just kidding. Well, no. I mean a little."She tenses up, "Since the first snow and all."She puts her hand to her mouth, leans a bit with her eyes getting all squinty. "I don't think that it's gonna stop. That's why this show has to be the best one yet."
Irna notices you haven't touched any food. "No? You sure? Well. Suit yourself."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Macario takes in all of his surroundings in a split second. Years of working as a healer hadn't dulled his senses at all. "But perhaps it has dulled my judgment,"he thinks to himself as he considers the options presented by the young tiefling, almost in disbelief that he's even considering jumping down either of the chutes.
"Garbage chute it is. We can use the walls to slow down a bit. Get ready!" Macario takes one last look at the mimic sitting on the bridge. The bridge. Without stopping to consider the consequences, he wills the shadows to envelop his blade and lunges for the vines connecting the bridge to the platform (scimitar22 to hit the bridge, dealing 7 slashing damage and an additional 6 necrotic damage from symbiotic entity, hoping to sever it and send the mimic plunging down to the ground below).
[[ No worries! I typically will keep AC and HP hidden from my players and just tell them whether they hit and generally how beat up the monster is looking, but that's only one way of doing it and this honestly may be better for PBP where multiple of us may want to take turns in between your replies. One note for chill touch is that I don't think it mechanically does anything to movement speed RAW but if that was just ability flavor then I'm all for it :) ]]
Seeing the poor food continued being mixed up like that with the unholy amount of the gravy-like sauce, he says stuff before he accidentally says something he'll regret.
"An act? Magic show?" Argos says confusedly. "I never saw that in the note..."
Hearing the description of the people, one of it rings a bell. Not a very big one but a bell nontherless. "I think I saw one in the corner of my eye when I was getting out of my room..."
He quickly shook his head "Wait a minute... Did I even agree to this show thing?"
((OOC Text in spoiler since I wrote too much trying to be funny))
((Ohhh! I've never played DnD in person and that would be pretty cool. Give it some mystery~ That would be fun too if you had a monster fake its own death. now that would be a twist.
I sort of just followed the way the DM I first played with in PbP did it with hp points hehe so I just copied, but I'm glad it's sort of helps! I also wanted to see what the hp would be based on the dice and oh man every time I roll it either here or on another dice roller it gets higher. ahah just the luck.
Oh yeah and for chill touch it says that the hand sticks to the target and I was like hmm that sounds fun and added in stickiness as being like you pushing it as that flavor. sprinkled it in ratatouille style
I love the movie ratatouille I just had to add this picture hghgh))
"Oh? Okay!" Eduardo seems a bit taken aback that you'd actually considered his option given that the first rope pulley one was pretty stupid. It just occurred to him that if the elevator is not at their floor, then they would ride down until hitting the roof of the actual elevator and be stuck moving where the elevator is moving. And if the mimic followed and fell in, well. Cramped spaces were already horrifying enough without a toothed weirdo monstrosity trying to seize up against you.
The tiefling gives you a look when you start doing what your doing. Then he gets it. Right, the bridge. At first he thinks 'wow someone would need to pay for property damage' then 'who cares. I don't work here.' "Wow. That works."He comments as your scimitar hacks through the vines almost effortlessly. In just one swipe, it tears through the right-hand side vines (and even disintegrates them from the necrotic damage!) connecting this bridge you're on to the one that the mimic is standing in. That side of the bridge is now leaning downward and the mimic is now straining against the forces of gravity that are pulling it down.
'NrraghAHHhhgrah' It yells and seethes and writhes its way up, its arms-legs(?) scuttling about trying to grab onto the wooden planks that make up the bottom of this now titled bridge. The force of the initial cut has caused the bridge to sway back and forth as the mimic tries desperately to cling on. "Die! Die!" You hear Eduardo scream as he has come running back from where he was standing to the edge of the bridge. Taking the remaining vine that is attached to the bridge, he is violently shaking it side to side to get thatthing off of it. But the mimic has some sort of miraculous grip going as it is still sticking to the wooden panels.
He curses, then following your lead, takes to the bridge with his dagger and slicing at it as well ((a nat 20 lets go + 4; and 7 damage)). Without that connector, the rest of the side of the bridge plummets. The force of it throwing the mimic off and sending it hurtling towards the ground. 'RAGAHHAgghhAHh.' A mimic version of a resounding 'nooooooo!'
Somehow in the midst of it, Eduardo casts Dancing Lights which make for an equally surreal light show display completely with firework-like flashes of yellow, red, and blue as the mimic is sent falling to its demise.
"Did- did it die?" He is looking over the bridge to see that he can't find it under the maze of the canopy and bridges, and so neither can you. He looks over at the now collapsed bridge, lightly swinging back and forth from the connection to your suite. "Hope you don't have to pay for that on top of your room."
@Argos
It really is an unholy amount of gravy. She just- just really likes the sauce. It's not even a traditional/common food itself. It's something that she made up once before by mixing condiments around when she was younger, and now as an adult, she requests it once she's here. The chefs in the kitchen still thinks its pretty disgusting, but she is the main event this time of the year after all. Got to keep her happy, they guess.
"Oh it wasn't? Guess I must've had it confused. Well I don't want to reveal too much because it's a surprise- even a bit to me! But it's like the way it is every year. You probably don't know if you haven't been before. The show ain't like it used to be." She looks your way sort of wistful, then continues,"The magic show. It's sort of like a um, banishment ritual. It happens right before everything goes to... well... down the trash. This town, well, it's right next to the epicenter, you know. Dinesa's mountains. The only way to counteract it is well, to use their magic against them. They like tricks. I've got tricks. Usually it takes a lot of confusion and mystery. With the crowd, you know. Wearing the masks helps. They 'like' that. Humiliation and surprise. That's the key.
"Usually I'm the one in the center of it. And I'm okay with playing the fool. The audience likes to jeer and tear me, which is fine. I wouldn't take it if the pay wasn't good and there was nothing useful that comes of it. There's nothing like the calm after the storm."
"Just-" Her smile turns to one of a grimace and her eye twitches a bit. "Last year. Things were different. I could feel the energy- it was off. Something wasn't satisfying the God of Tricks. I just... just couldn't tell what. Everything was okay for a little bit, then it went crazy. And now. Now with the snow. I don't know...."
"But soon enough my prayers were answered. You know after the first snowfall. I get this message out of nowhere telling me how to get contenders. People with strong wills who can help me. I honestly don't know where it came from, but just some bird showed up at my house one day. I trust in miracles. I'm a cleric after all. So I don't know. I don't know if it's wrong if I'm putting my blind fate into something that I don't fully trust, but I- I honestly just hope it works this time. I can't have what happened last time happen again. Now I won't go back to it."
A pause.
"Oh good. You saw one of them?"She sighs, "I hope Lilly can go wrangle them up for me. I'm a bit exhausted from prepping last night. You know someone dropped my ice sculpture and now it's melting backstage!"
"Didn't you agree?"She looks at you warily with that last statement, eyeing you with soft confusion. "Well, you're here aren't ya?"You actually don't quite remember or recall how you got here. Just that you did? What led you here? Why did you come? Hm.
Macario watches the last of the vines that had once connected the bridge to the platform wither away from where his sword had made contact, then looks across to his room, now separated from the trunk by a 40 foot gap. He mutters a Tabaxi curse word, then turns back to the tiefling that had gotten him into this mess. He wants to be angry, but his eyes are drawn back to the little horns on the kid's head, and the inexperienced way he holds his dagger. This was just another street kid, trying to survive in a world that hated him. Macario had never been through that himself, but he'd certainly seen it enough to pity Eduardo.
"I think you should get out of here," he says, without any edge or anger to his voice, but with enough resolve that the boy should understand that it isn't a request. "If you see them again, you can tell them I don't have it, but a word of advice? Lay low, don't seek them out, don't let them find you. Whatever this is, you don't want any part of it," (persuasion or intimidation with advantage and guidance12). He digs into a pocket with his free hand, finding just a single gold piece, but flicks it towards the boy anyway. "If you feel safe down the trash chute, that may be your best exit. Don't know how folks in the lobby might react to someone like you dressed like that," he adds, nodding to the clearly stolen bellhop uniform. "Stay safe Eduardo."
[[ Removed 1gp. ]]
Macario tucks his scimitar into his belt, then walks barefoot over to the empty elevator shaft to wait for a ride down. "Vaya mañana," he thinks to himself, pondering how he'd found a strange note, been held at knifepoint, nearly swallowed by a mimic, then been stranded with no way back to his hotel room, all in a span of twenty minutes. How had he even ended up in the room? He remembered...a letter? Yes, a letter, stuffed between patient charts but addressed to him. What had it said again? And how in the name of Sesisah had he gotten here? (history12 if necessary).
He nodded a bit until he heard the banishment ritual. "Ah erm..." Lots of head-scratching and he starts to walk away very slowly.
"This woman is insane..." He thought to himself as he backed up.
When the point she said, "Well you're here aren't ya?" He's already far gone. Yeah, what the heck did he do, what kind of force made him into this situation? Maybe he needs a seat to think and rest...
Upon seeing your reaction, a brief wave of fear and anger washed over the tiefling's face. Your stare at the horns on his head makes him think you're going to make the same face that everyone has done before him. But then you didn't. He takes a step back. When you give him those orders, he appears to open his mouth to say a word back, but instead closes it. After you continue, a sigh."I'll try."
His eyes go wide at the sight of the coin and with a quick flick of the wrist, he catches it in midair."Wha- you sure? I-"He runs his finger through the coin's surface, half expecting it to just disappear. "Why?"After a pause. "Thank you."
"You too."He clicks his tongue."See you soon." Eduardo's face scrunches. He looks inward in himself if this is the charm or really him. "For real." He scampers over to the trash chute but just stands there for a second.
"Here." He comes back and hands you an un-neatly wrapped cloth. Inside, it contains Thieves' Tools. "I have a second - fourth - pair."He wasn't going to say it but the charm sort of compels him to. "If you weren't going to let me in earlier. Once you left, I was just going to pick the lock and look around."He looks away from you, yet rubs the back of his neck, "Probably would've had my hand in a mimic's stomach. So thanks."
He sets his foot on the bottom of the trash chute then hoists himself up. Not without a little salute at you, he goes in and you can hear the metal rollers clanking as he slides down.
You are left alone on an empty floor that seems to be devoid of anything really. Even looking down, there seems to be no one on the other floor's vine bridges. The birds, the insects, the rooms have all gone silent. The gentle swaying of the cut bridge serves as a squeaking reminder of the last fight. The elevator is, um, actually stuck three floors down (carrying Pak'cha and Lilly, the tabaxi bellhop) no matter how many times you try to pull on the rope to call it up.
Pondering your predicament- the letter. Yes, the letter comes to mind.
Greetings my dear gallant Macario,
I have received notice of how well you have performed in such honorable acts and duties as an aid worker for the people of Enerst. I would like to have you know that you are talked about with such great praise and esteem that I find it necessary to write to you myself. Humbly, I am requesting your aid here in Amzit. As you may or may not know, we are holding our Annual Masquerade Ball in reverence of Dinesa, our god of the mischief and trickery. Unlike any other Day of Trickery festivities, with the hotel being within such proximity to the mountains, it is within my sacred duty to withheld the most devastating effects of the spread of the cataclysm. Since many sects do not consider my work necessary, I often find myself reaching out in the most unexpected of places.
Due to your past days in priesthood, I have come to believe you would likely understand the call to aid for one like this. Though in the past, I have faced opposition with those claiming that my rituals are against the wills of Intsanah, just as you likely have had with your affiliation with Sessiah, recently I have drawn much more ire for my rituals appeasing Dinesa. I can assure you of my call to Intsanah and though I do not understand your fondness of the god of the dead, I do not doubt each of the gods have a purpose and a role to play (though I know many who would say otherwise), I have come to understand that serving my god and the will of the people means sometimes making sacrifices and having to deal with and pacify greater evils. That is the greatest strength of all.
So, formally I am asking for your part in the festival. I'll let the staff know you are a guest of mine. I'll answer any further questions when you get here.
As the granddaugther of the hotel's founder, I am offering you a room free of charge. Your presence is requested a week from today.
The warmest regards,
Inra Gonzalez, Head Cleric of the sect of Intsanah's Diviners
As for how did you get here? It was like that time on one of the very particularly hot days of Enerst when you were tending to those victims of heatstroke. They talked of how like being there, but not fully aware. Like grasping into a sea of nothingness. Static-y. Body being limp but still moving. Yes, hmm, so what happened yesterday? You left the clinic early that day, notified the others of having to go somewhere for the weekend, passed through the outskirts of town, the suburbs of Anya, then through the pueblos carved in those mountainsides until you landed upon this sleepy resort town. Like snapshots of an album. There are memories in being in those spaces at one time, yes. But the doing? Not so much. You just sort of did? And then you were here. But you weren't having heatstroke, were you? Maybe. Maybe not.
You can walk around the other bridges, attempt to enter any of the rooms. The option for the slide is still available. Use your rope. Try the trash chute. Chill touch to pick up the vines of the bridge and try to tie them back up? Throw something. Call out to anyone. Yell. Scream.
'Ding.'
Oh. Hmm, it seems the elevator is up.
((ahh sorry I'm not sure if I'm like forcing too much things onto your character and if I am I can totally tone it down, just let me know. also ahh gosh giving Eduardo a coin that is so sweet ))
@Argos
Irna eyes you walking slowly over to the door. She places on hand on the table.
"Wait!"She has jumped up now, nearly knocking her seat over in the process. She was quick. Lightning-fast-cheetah quick. Her hand outstretched to grab yours.
"No- I uh um sorry. I didn't know." She reels her hand back, sliding back into her seat and looking to you solemnly. Then, in a flash, in worry."I didn't actually send the letter. I thought- ... Look. Just- just come to the show tonight. You won't regret it. You um don't have to do anything. But just thanks for coming. To the breakfast, I mean. And to the hotel. I'll have other options, yeah for sure." Her voice trembles on that last term. Her hands are doing something like an invisible cat's cradle knot.
Irna gets up slightly pacing, then reaches for the door. "I'll have to go continuing prepping."
She turns back and points to the food trays. "So, um, help yourself."She exits.
Same as Macario, thinking back on how you got here only reveals a slideshow of moving pictures of where you traveled but not in so much how. You sit and think in a room empty, white, and alone.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Macario nods to the boy as he slips away, then lets his mind wander as he waits for the lift, attempting to slowly walk through the events of the prior day that led him to this place. Not feeling any sense of urgency, but also unwilling to bother another guest lest he be drawn into another mimic encounter, he simply stands before the empty shaft until the quiet ding snaps him out of his reverie. Had it been eerily silent just before that? He needed a coffee.
Macario steps into the elevator (nodding a polite good morning to anyone else present and pretending not to notice any strange looks at the curved blade tucked into his belt) and rides silently down to the lobby. He steps out into a crowd of people, most of them heading towards or coming from the direction pointed to by a “Complementary Breakfast” sign. Macario ignores them (and the sign), intent on finding this Inra Gonzalez or whoever was in charge here and figuring out how in the Underside someone had snuck a mimic into his room (perception15 or investigation11).
[[ Added one thieves' tools to Macario’s character sheet. ]]
Argos yelped when in the blink of an eye she suddenly grabbed his hand.
He sighed. Now he gets informed that she ain't given him the letter. Probably someone else...
"I'll come if you would never do that... thing you did again to me." He pointed at her and walked to the food trays. Might as well eat before the show. Unless if he gets sick from the food...
'' Sure thing kid. You know the song Alandrian Twonce?''
Therdiane will pull our his flute and donations hat and start playing the extremely jumpy and exciting intro to the first more advanced song he learned. As the song progresses, (I assume the kid is also playing) I imagine he's pretty darn good, so I think we would kinda keep switching from melody to accompaniment. The song ends with a loooong note that gets loouder and louder before coming to an abrupt halt.
I'll then compliment him on how good he is, and just start a little conversation, asking how long he's been playing, why he plays whatever instrument it is he was playing, (I completely forgot...) how old he is, what his name is, etc.
After, I'll get up, grab any donations we may have racked up, (giving half of them to him, rounded down.) and head back to my room. On the way, I'll just look around to see if I can find the bellhop from earlier, and if I do, tell her that I could use whatever it was she was going to bring me, as well as ask if there is like a hot lake, or shower anywhere.
Sorry I haven't been responding as much, I people have had to d stuff with our internet, and I've had not s great stuff going on.
When you step into the elevator, it is an uneventful ride down. And luckily for you, it is empty. One thing, unlike before, the elevator ride comes with slight jaunty background music.
You step out into the lobby. Few people notice your scimitar at first, then when they do, they quickly walk away from you. Someone even points at the fact you're barefoot, heckles, then turns to high-five their friend. But no one really gives it much thought because they're not really paying attention going to and fro. Though, they probably should because weapons are not allowed in the main lobby, but who's going to stop you? None of the bellhops, that's who, who are don't want to be stabbed by some random guest or hopefully maybe they think it is a prop for the show. Oh right, the show...
Come to think of it, you don't know how Inra Gonzalez looks like. You walk around the lobby to go find her. A couple of people are sitting in the lounge area by the receptionist desk. An especially tired looking cheetah-tabaxi has just exited the Executive Office down the hall and is powerwalking down to the lounge. She is fumbling with something in her large top hat before putting it back on her head. Some people mumble something as she walks by them. With a swish, her reddish robe flashes by you with a distinct silvery glittery name weaved into the back 'Inra of the Diviners' before she struts by and sits on a lounge chair. With a long sigh, hangs down her head in her hand, then in a jump, suddenly stands up and slams through the doors of the ballroom.
@Argos
When you say that she stops by the door, looking rather sheepish. "I- sorry about that. Thank you. Thank you for understanding. Sorry, sorry, that really wasn't level-headed of me."Gripping onto the door, Inra then begins taking deep breathes in a sort of standing-up meditative way. "Okay just breathe. You got this." She tells herself, then is out the door.
In the room you see that display spread of various food and desserts for breakfast. Its smells waft over to you, and rest assured, they are not poisonous or anything. They were set for Inra's annual breakfast before the show, and the chefs know how much Inra loves breakfast. Outside you can hear the hustle and bustle of the other guests as they walk about and do their thing. In here, it is just you and the food and your memories of the letter.
Dear the most venerable Argos,
As one of the clerics of life, evolution, and independence, I can see how Intsanah's love and Fenya's light has come smiling down onto you and your good fortunes. You are such a world-wisen traveler, you must have so many stories to tell, I am assured. So I write to you today to implore you on a sort of mission of mine. You see as also another great faithful of Intsanah and his wisdom, it is by a miracle, you have come greatly recommend to me and I am requesting your further insight into this work. The Annual Masquerade Ball at Hotel Amzit is coming up as part of our annual Day of Trickery festivities. I know how some other sects have come to take of the day as lighthearted fun and games or others dismissing it as such, some of which you might have seen on your travels, but I assure you my work here is just as valid and necessary. It is of no laughing matter.
With the hotel being within such proximity to the mountains, it is within my sacred duty to withheld the most devastating effects of the spread of the cataclysm. From your knowledge of the words of Intsanah and mine, I hope that you can come to better enlighten me and even take part of the day's events. I am hoping to come to a better conclision that that of last year. As you may have heard from rumors spreading around the coast of Twimee'zah, is that failed show last year has channeled a rift opening of Dinesa's energy to world leading up to the first snow. A rumor in which I find absurd due to other's dismissal of my works and now bits back as another defamation of my character! I am hoping your knowledge of our good gods or some sort of prophecy or anything of the sort is one that could cure the words of ill will. In so, I hope this letter comes to you in good faith and you would be willing to accept my proposal.
I am formally asking for your part in the festival. I'll let the staff know you are a guest of mine. I'll answer any further questions when you get here.
With my status as granddaugther of the hotel's founder, I am offering you a room free of charge. Your presence is requested a week from today.
The warmest regards,
Inra Gonzalez, Head Cleric of the sect of Intsanah's Diviners
@Theradine
"Oh boy, do I?!"They seem as eager to play as you are.
'Doot doot doot. doot doot doot do doodta doota'
You two started playing together. The kid follows suit with your flute and though a bit fumbly at first manages to play in tune with your beat.
'Diddly doot doot doota doot da'
And sure enough, a small crowd of yawning guests and travel-worn families begins to form around you in the breakfast room. That family you ran into earlier has come to sit around you, the little tabaxi children gathered at your feet. Even your previous elf guide companion sits at a table by you holding a plate and stuffing his mouth with arepas, stopping from eating to clap once your performance end.
'doooooooooooooooooooot dooooooooow!!!'
Cue applause.
"YAYYYYYYYY!"
"Booooooo!" One kid blows a raspberry at you and lightly punches her brother.
Another one goes, "Do it! Do it! Do it again! Do it again!"
"I wanna play!!! Give me! Give meee!"
"I want cheese!"
'No, you can't eat that remember.' A motherly voice responds from the audience.
"AWWWW"
"Play it againnnnnn!"
But you don't. Looking at the donation hat, many of these guests didn't come here expecting to pay (since the breakfast was free) so many of them didn't bring their wallets with them when they came down. So the more generous ones threw down what little bits and pieces they had into your collection box.
You managed to accumulate 57 copper coins and 8 silver ones, making for a whopping... 1 gold coin. The child says it's okay and that you don't have to share it with them.
Sometime in the middle of it, you two start talking about each other. The child giggles when you ask them how long they have been playing. "Since forever!"They clap and do a little twirl, "It's a pan flute! My favorite."
They don't answer the age part but gives you a small smile instead, responding. "Tanya. Rhymes with Anya. Like none-ya business."They then stroll away with a little wave and escape into the crowd.
The bellhop you were with earlier, Lilly, is still stuck on the elevator with Pak'cha actually so she isn't there. You do, however, find another bellhop apparently named Twig (that's what it says on the little pin on his uniform anyways) who tells you that the (man-made) hot lake is open and is to the east of the hotel. The waterfall is also another option. And that they are working on getting running water to each room but not until next year. But you can use the public stall showers that each tree floor level has.
The new bellhop also apologizes for not having the breakfast meal for now, but just suggests you try the complimentary breakfast (although you were there earlier). He bids you goodbye and leaves you be.
((I didn't know if that was a real song or not - I couldn't find it :( - ended up with a beat that's sort of like almost meglalvonia in my head ))
Macario scans the lobby as he steps out of the elevator. He notices the looks he gets for openly carrying a weapon, but it's not like he really had much of a choice, right? Walking away from the complementary breakfast towards the receptionist's desk, he notices the Tabaxi woman exit the offices and dart into the ballroom and catches the name on the back of her robe. "She did say I was a guest of hers," he thinks to himself, and then quickly follows her through the doors.
Beads of sweat start coming out of his forehead. Did he do that-
(I am impeccable at predicting the time I'll sleep lol)
He took a plate and piled a small amount of food. Afterward, he sat down, for some reason that was the time his memory decided to remind him about the letter.
He muttered a bit of the parts that stood out to him. Kind of loudly
You quickly follow her through the doors of the ballroom only to find out she isn't there. The ballroom is an impressively carved out hollow in the base of the trunk. You can see that the interior designer here sparred no detail. The arching rafters leading to the roof spiral and turn like real branches. Their artificial outstretch ends in that of a chandelier where more carved tree branches spindle down, holding a very large intertwining of leaves and lanterns like an upside-down glowing tree. There's something a bit funny about making artificial designs into an actual tree.
From squinting you can actually see small dragon-like figures of the quetzal sort on each of the branches with mouths wide and their fires snaking their way towards the upside-down chandelier tree. Across the walls of the ballroom you see etched in reliefs are the landscape to this very hotel. A silhouette of the mountains cover an extensive part of the display, imposing, compared to the otherwise tinnier carving of the hotel and town itself as if the mountains were going to consume it alive. The ballroom is decorated for today, you can see it looks like very much all other Day of Trickery festiveness with the white fox masks on the tables (finally someone got them out of storage!) and the candy. The only thing pretty jarring would be the large ice sculpture of the deity themself that is currently centerpieced on stage. It drip, drip, drips, in front of you, it's icey eyes seeming to peer right through yours.
There are about 6 doors from behind you were you came in (all of which lead to the lobby - fire safety reasons). Further exploring into the back you see a door clearly marked "Employees Only" and then more down, another labeled "Backstage." There is also a door towards the left-hand side of the stage marked "Closet" then another that says "Bathrooms."
@Argos
((oh no! go to sleeeeppppp!!!))
You sit there in the executive office to ponder what have you done. It is quiet. So quiet. Only the light hissing every now and there of the magical fire heaters under each of the floating trays disturbs your silence. Your plate is piled with smatterings of ube champorado, rolls of cheesy pandesal, and guava and cheese puff pastries. Of course Inra would get the most sweetest options for you guys. That girl sure has a sweet tooth. But, the breakfast-desserts are honestly so good.
As you eat, nothing seems out of the ordinary or amiss. It is not until you finish that faint jaunty music begins coming out from the kitchen down the hallway.
You make out a scattering of lyrics:
'Forget me not... forgive what wrought... the end... to a new beginning!'
"Strange," Macario thinks to himself as he scans the room and spots no sign of the cheetah-furred woman he had attempted to follow. His eyes linger on the "Employees Only" door for just a second before he thinks better of it and decides to leave before anyone notices that he's not really supposed to be in the ballroom yet.
He makes his way back out to the main lobby, and as the final strands of Sesisah's strength he had summoned to fight the mimic leave his body (10 min. duration on symbiotic entity), he is suddenly very conscious of the fact that he is barefoot, breaking the hotel rules, and has no way back to his room. Macario makes his way to the front desk and addresses the employee working there, doing his best to appear as friendly and non-threatening as possible. "Good morning, I'm in room..." He pauses, not quite remembering the number. Surely they had told him when he checked in? He was a bit preoccupied this morning when he left the room, sure, but he should know the number, shouldn't he? "I'm on the 6th elevator stop, and there was a bit of an incident with a mimic this morning that I'm afraid left the bridge to my room quite unusable. Would it be possible to get a repair crew up there? I'd also love to speak to Doña Inra Gonzalez when she's free, I was invited here as a guest of hers but we have yet to meet." (persuasion19 with guidance).
[[ I was going to roll this with disadvantage just for fun because of the sword and the no shoes but then I felt like mentioning Inra would probably help so I just rolled it straight hehe. ]]
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@Argos
Her grin widens once you confirm your name. "Aw yes, I knew it!" She continues to shake your hand for a few more seconds longer than necessary. As soon as she notices where your looking at she tilts her head that way to block it. "You're probably wondering why I brought you here!"
In a twirl, she whisks herself away toward the selection of food trays hanging from the ceiling like plant holders. "You want anything?" She asks nonchalantly, taking a tamale from the tray and begins to unwrap it in her hand. "Where'd the rest of your friends go? Lilly said that you were all coming down. Mmm." She says in between bites, "Wow, this is really good." With her other hand, she takes a small plate and balances it on the forearm of the arm with the tamale where she continues to take more food from various trays with the first free hand. "I hope you enjoy the show tonight. You were greatly recommended. Don't forgot to bring your mask too. That's important."
Irna watches you and settles down at the head of the bamboo table. After placing her plate down, she goes up and puts her feet up on the table and leans back with her arms behind her head. "This hotel, man. I always love coming here. Honestly the best time of the year." She looks down at her food and then at you, "Well dig in."
She pours all of the stuff from her plate into the hole carved into the table, pours some gravy-looking sauce into it, then starts lapping it up like a cat. This is normal for tabaxis to do here.
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
@Macario
Eduardo was peering over the railings of the bridge to look down, but turns to glare once you said that. His expression soon changes to something more apologetic once he realizes you're both barefoot and without a shield. "Sorry." He peers over back into the room to see that the mimic is gaining speed and slowly morphing from chest to something more gray and... dripping. Uhhggh. "But I had to double check!"
He stops in the middle of the vine bridge and takes a second to look around frantically. "Uhhh. Ummm." But in that second the mimic has gone from one side of the room to nearly out the door.
'Mrhmah' The creature hisses. It, um, now has legs, very spindly crab-like legs. 7 of them in fact. 'Arhrgah.' Its mouth or body or whatever its whole thing is looks like it's melting. Eduardo screams, then slams the door shut with Thaumaturgy. Silence. Then a very familiar upside down pointed limb comes from under the door, scratches at it, and the whole thing, in seconds, oozes through. It's grayish form is like a manta ray with legs and a whole knife drawer set of teeth.
"No way. No way this is real." says Eduardo, struggling to catch his own breath.
"Stupid shoes." He grumbles, quickening his pace. "Not made for hooves." He then leads you over to the edge of the vine bridge towards the main tree elevator. The mimic is no slowpoke either. It is nearly 50 feet from you. You find the elevator shaft empty as the cart is not at your floor yet. "Do- um- have you ever zip-lined before?"
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Keeping one eye on the ooze, Macario follows Eduardo towards the elevator. "Of course I have, but this isn't a zipline!" He turns to face the mimic, momentarily grateful to be missing a shield, and stretches out his hand. A ghostly green claw extends out from his palm towards the monster (chill touch, only a 9 to hit even if Eduardo helps, 8 necrotic damage if it does). "I don't have anything to slow it down so whatever we're doing we'd better do quickly!" he says to the tiefling, a note of panic entering his voice. He chances a look away from the mimic to glance around at their surroundings for a way out, or anything or anyone that might be able to help (perception 18).
[[ to be clear I am not intending to stand and fight but we seem to be in quasi-initiative right now and I do think his instinct would be to get at least one attack off while they're figuring out an escape plan ]]
(Apologies for the little delay!)
Deep breath in. Deep breath out. It really is sunny today. Quite beautiful out, as well. Birds are chirping, eating from the vines... and staring directly at him like he was on display at a museum. Keeping as quiet as possible, he turns his gaze to the bird, reaching out before it flies off. Hm.
Pak'cha's morning activities go as one normally would, getting himself dressed and cleaning himself... until something catches his attention. The faint smell of fruit wafting through the air. Looking around a bit, his antennae straighten a bit once he catches notice of the mask. 'When did this get here?', he thinks to himself. It's a curious design. Not the happiest, most 'pretty' design... but it's something... it smells quite nice too. He should have expected that, anyways. It's a carved-up fruit.
... then he sees the note. 'Don't quite fit in'. He's a hulking brute, sure, but he knows exactly what that means. Daintily lifting the note up, he tosses it onto the floor before fastening the mask on his face. Hm... it fits. Surprisingly. Another scene to his left catches his attention, though. His neighbor bumping into a bellhop... if he could chuckle, he would! Clicking a bit, he pushes the door of his room open and makes his way down towards the lobby.
“The brighter they shine, the darker the shadow grows.” - Makino Fumito
👑 King of Junior Year 👑
DND Amateur and boxing nerd.
Extended Signature.
He looked back as she blocked his view. "Yeah I was wondering it actually."
He looked at the tamales, as he was about to ask for one he heard friends from her mouth. "I'm hearing about friends and crew but I have no idea what you're talking about..."
Then seeing the gravy scene... And the lapping it up (idk what does lapping it up mean- but I'll assume its mixing food.) He kind of changes his mind. Like quickly.
@Macario
((ahhh no that makes sense. okay um since this is my first time running an encounter I have no idea if this is right. sorry. please let me know if I did anything wrong!))
Eduardo does help but your 9 for chill touch is not enough against the mimic's armor class.
Once realizing that didn't work, Eduardo tugs on the rope pulley that brings up the elevator. "I mean it's close enough! What other option we got?! I got only the suckiest of cantrips."
You are currently at the main bridge of the center middle tree. There are 8 vines bridges extending outward from this center, where one of these bridges is occupied by the mimic. Each bridge leads up to a hotel suite. The elevator is still not at your floor yet. Surprisingly there is a lack of guests and staff at your area. Neither do you spot any animals nearby. There are some vines that hang from the branches of the tree canopy above you but they likely won't hold your weight. About 5 soursop fruits are growing on the branches closest to you and you can pick them up. There is also a wooden slide carved partially into to the wood of the main tree then extends straight down to the waterfall. However, the entrance is three floors below you. You most likely can't reach that (unless you think you can jump it, which would need a good dexterity roll).
"Wait, the slide." He pauses. "Not that one." Eduardo dashes further down the tree's circumference opposite of the main elevator and hits a spot on the bark nearly above his head, which opens up a small door. Tiptoeing and sticking his head in, you see it's actually wide enough to fit a whole body in. There is a series of metal rollers that form a conveyor-belt like contraption. Each floor has an opening like the one he opened and it leads all the way down to the compost pile in the basement of the tree.
He looks back at you. "I've been practically haunting this joint long enough to know all the spots. I mean technically it's a trash chute for the staff. Guess we're staff today." He grins a little at the irony of his own joke. He's not leaving until you're moving as to not leave you behind due to your charm.
Your chill touch has managed to "cling" to your target, meaning the mimic is still scuttling towards you but is slowed down against the pressure from your skeletal hand pushing against it. It has only managed to move 5 feet closer. 'Rhurrgghah' the thing groans as it tries hard to push against your weight.
'Thunk' You see he has thrown a soursop at the monster (leaving only 4 on the branches left), but it completely misses (rolled a 1), only shaking the bridge a little bit before rolling off. It only seemed to make the creature more mad as it shakes harder, growling and trashing against your chill touch. "That didn't work." He mumbles.
@Pak'cha
((no you're all good!!! there really is no rush! everyone is allowed to post on their own time))
You continue out the door with no interruptions. The bellhop was quite fast and hurried your neighbor into the first elevator before you could even get across the bridge, so you have to wait for the next one as it's the only one on this floor. The other elevator is blocked off with a sign that says 'under renovation.' Just great.
The bird that was watching you earlier has come back, this time landing on the top of the roof of your room. It continues staring. "Psst. Listen." you hear a small voice coming from that direction. Suddenly, the same tabaxi bellhop comes back with a slight shock as she takes a step back once she sees your hulking form right in front of the elevator doors. The mask you're welling doesn't help calm down her nerves at all. "Wows, um you're big." She clutches her hat and grips onto her cart. "And you're up too. Wow okay. I'm bumping into everyone today. Um. Lemme bring you down alright. Okays. Inra would be happy to see you, yeah." She hesitates, then steps aside to let you into the elevator. She takes hold of the crank and starts bringing the elevator down to the lobby. "So. Um how was your trip?" She looks up with a nervous smile and waits for a response, not realizing you can't talk (at least not physically).
It looks like you've made it three floors down when she starts to have trouble with the crank. "Um uh." Furiously tugging at it, while trying to discreet with it, she then finally admits. "I think it's stuck."
@Argos
"Hmm? Oh yeah. Sure. 'Cuz you're part of the act later. A whole magic show! I thought I told you earlier. With the letter. Or maybe not. I forgot." She continues eating. She uses her claw to stir around the contents even more, then scoops it into her mouth. You don't recall the letter saying anything about that. "You know. Your friends. The bug man. The aid worker. The singer. A few others I forgot the names of. You though. You I remember. Hm. You've probably haven't met them yet. Ah no worries, you'll meet them later." She dismisses this question with a wave of her hand.
"This show has been a bust for years now. I'm hoping to spice it up. That's where you guys come in. We need a sacrifice- HAH no I'm just kidding. Well, no. I mean a little." She tenses up, "Since the first snow and all." She puts her hand to her mouth, leans a bit with her eyes getting all squinty. "I don't think that it's gonna stop. That's why this show has to be the best one yet."
Irna notices you haven't touched any food. "No? You sure? Well. Suit yourself."
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Macario takes in all of his surroundings in a split second. Years of working as a healer hadn't dulled his senses at all. "But perhaps it has dulled my judgment," he thinks to himself as he considers the options presented by the young tiefling, almost in disbelief that he's even considering jumping down either of the chutes.
"Garbage chute it is. We can use the walls to slow down a bit. Get ready!" Macario takes one last look at the mimic sitting on the bridge. The bridge. Without stopping to consider the consequences, he wills the shadows to envelop his blade and lunges for the vines connecting the bridge to the platform (scimitar 22 to hit the bridge, dealing 7 slashing damage and an additional 6 necrotic damage from symbiotic entity, hoping to sever it and send the mimic plunging down to the ground below).
[[ No worries! I typically will keep AC and HP hidden from my players and just tell them whether they hit and generally how beat up the monster is looking, but that's only one way of doing it and this honestly may be better for PBP where multiple of us may want to take turns in between your replies. One note for chill touch is that I don't think it mechanically does anything to movement speed RAW but if that was just ability flavor then I'm all for it :) ]]
Seeing the poor food continued being mixed up like that with the unholy amount of the gravy-like sauce, he says stuff before he accidentally says something he'll regret.
"An act? Magic show?" Argos says confusedly. "I never saw that in the note..."
Hearing the description of the people, one of it rings a bell. Not a very big one but a bell nontherless. "I think I saw one in the corner of my eye when I was getting out of my room..."
He quickly shook his head "Wait a minute... Did I even agree to this show thing?"
@Macario
((OOC Text in spoiler since I wrote too much trying to be funny))
((Ohhh! I've never played DnD in person and that would be pretty cool. Give it some mystery~ That would be fun too if you had a monster fake its own death. now that would be a twist.
I sort of just followed the way the DM I first played with in PbP did it with hp points hehe so I just copied, but I'm glad it's sort of helps! I also wanted to see what the hp would be based on the dice and oh man every time I roll it either here or on another dice roller it gets higher. ahah just the luck.
Oh yeah and for chill touch it says that the hand sticks to the target and I was like hmm that sounds fun and added in stickiness as being like you pushing it as that flavor. sprinkled it in ratatouille style
I love the movie ratatouille I just had to add this picture hghgh))
"Oh? Okay!" Eduardo seems a bit taken aback that you'd actually considered his option given that the first rope pulley one was pretty stupid. It just occurred to him that if the elevator is not at their floor, then they would ride down until hitting the roof of the actual elevator and be stuck moving where the elevator is moving. And if the mimic followed and fell in, well. Cramped spaces were already horrifying enough without a toothed weirdo monstrosity trying to seize up against you.
The tiefling gives you a look when you start doing what your doing. Then he gets it. Right, the bridge. At first he thinks 'wow someone would need to pay for property damage' then 'who cares. I don't work here.' "Wow. That works." He comments as your scimitar hacks through the vines almost effortlessly. In just one swipe, it tears through the right-hand side vines (and even disintegrates them from the necrotic damage!) connecting this bridge you're on to the one that the mimic is standing in. That side of the bridge is now leaning downward and the mimic is now straining against the forces of gravity that are pulling it down.
'NrraghAHHhhgrah' It yells and seethes and writhes its way up, its arms-legs(?) scuttling about trying to grab onto the wooden planks that make up the bottom of this now titled bridge. The force of the initial cut has caused the bridge to sway back and forth as the mimic tries desperately to cling on. "Die! Die!" You hear Eduardo scream as he has come running back from where he was standing to the edge of the bridge. Taking the remaining vine that is attached to the bridge, he is violently shaking it side to side to get that thing off of it. But the mimic has some sort of miraculous grip going as it is still sticking to the wooden panels.
He curses, then following your lead, takes to the bridge with his dagger and slicing at it as well ((a nat 20 lets go + 4; and 7 damage)). Without that connector, the rest of the side of the bridge plummets. The force of it throwing the mimic off and sending it hurtling towards the ground. 'RAGAHHAgghhAHh.' A mimic version of a resounding 'nooooooo!'
Somehow in the midst of it, Eduardo casts Dancing Lights which make for an equally surreal light show display completely with firework-like flashes of yellow, red, and blue as the mimic is sent falling to its demise.
"Did- did it die?" He is looking over the bridge to see that he can't find it under the maze of the canopy and bridges, and so neither can you. He looks over at the now collapsed bridge, lightly swinging back and forth from the connection to your suite. "Hope you don't have to pay for that on top of your room."
@Argos
It really is an unholy amount of gravy. She just- just really likes the sauce. It's not even a traditional/common food itself. It's something that she made up once before by mixing condiments around when she was younger, and now as an adult, she requests it once she's here. The chefs in the kitchen still thinks its pretty disgusting, but she is the main event this time of the year after all. Got to keep her happy, they guess.
"Oh it wasn't? Guess I must've had it confused. Well I don't want to reveal too much because it's a surprise- even a bit to me! But it's like the way it is every year. You probably don't know if you haven't been before. The show ain't like it used to be." She looks your way sort of wistful, then continues, "The magic show. It's sort of like a um, banishment ritual. It happens right before everything goes to... well... down the trash. This town, well, it's right next to the epicenter, you know. Dinesa's mountains. The only way to counteract it is well, to use their magic against them. They like tricks. I've got tricks. Usually it takes a lot of confusion and mystery. With the crowd, you know. Wearing the masks helps. They 'like' that. Humiliation and surprise. That's the key.
"Usually I'm the one in the center of it. And I'm okay with playing the fool. The audience likes to jeer and tear me, which is fine. I wouldn't take it if the pay wasn't good and there was nothing useful that comes of it. There's nothing like the calm after the storm."
"Just-" Her smile turns to one of a grimace and her eye twitches a bit. "Last year. Things were different. I could feel the energy- it was off. Something wasn't satisfying the God of Tricks. I just... just couldn't tell what. Everything was okay for a little bit, then it went crazy. And now. Now with the snow. I don't know...."
"But soon enough my prayers were answered. You know after the first snowfall. I get this message out of nowhere telling me how to get contenders. People with strong wills who can help me. I honestly don't know where it came from, but just some bird showed up at my house one day. I trust in miracles. I'm a cleric after all. So I don't know. I don't know if it's wrong if I'm putting my blind fate into something that I don't fully trust, but I- I honestly just hope it works this time. I can't have what happened last time happen again. Now I won't go back to it."
A pause.
"Oh good. You saw one of them?" She sighs, "I hope Lilly can go wrangle them up for me. I'm a bit exhausted from prepping last night. You know someone dropped my ice sculpture and now it's melting backstage!"
"Didn't you agree?" She looks at you warily with that last statement, eyeing you with soft confusion. "Well, you're here aren't ya?" You actually don't quite remember or recall how you got here. Just that you did? What led you here? Why did you come? Hm.
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Macario watches the last of the vines that had once connected the bridge to the platform wither away from where his sword had made contact, then looks across to his room, now separated from the trunk by a 40 foot gap. He mutters a Tabaxi curse word, then turns back to the tiefling that had gotten him into this mess. He wants to be angry, but his eyes are drawn back to the little horns on the kid's head, and the inexperienced way he holds his dagger. This was just another street kid, trying to survive in a world that hated him. Macario had never been through that himself, but he'd certainly seen it enough to pity Eduardo.
"I think you should get out of here," he says, without any edge or anger to his voice, but with enough resolve that the boy should understand that it isn't a request. "If you see them again, you can tell them I don't have it, but a word of advice? Lay low, don't seek them out, don't let them find you. Whatever this is, you don't want any part of it," (persuasion or intimidation with advantage and guidance 12). He digs into a pocket with his free hand, finding just a single gold piece, but flicks it towards the boy anyway. "If you feel safe down the trash chute, that may be your best exit. Don't know how folks in the lobby might react to someone like you dressed like that," he adds, nodding to the clearly stolen bellhop uniform. "Stay safe Eduardo."
[[ Removed 1gp. ]]
Macario tucks his scimitar into his belt, then walks barefoot over to the empty elevator shaft to wait for a ride down. "Vaya mañana," he thinks to himself, pondering how he'd found a strange note, been held at knifepoint, nearly swallowed by a mimic, then been stranded with no way back to his hotel room, all in a span of twenty minutes. How had he even ended up in the room? He remembered...a letter? Yes, a letter, stuffed between patient charts but addressed to him. What had it said again? And how in the name of Sesisah had he gotten here? (history 12 if necessary).
He nodded a bit until he heard the banishment ritual. "Ah erm..." Lots of head-scratching and he starts to walk away very slowly.
"This woman is insane..." He thought to himself as he backed up.
When the point she said, "Well you're here aren't ya?" He's already far gone. Yeah, what the heck did he do, what kind of force made him into this situation? Maybe he needs a seat to think and rest...
@Macario
Upon seeing your reaction, a brief wave of fear and anger washed over the tiefling's face. Your stare at the horns on his head makes him think you're going to make the same face that everyone has done before him. But then you didn't. He takes a step back. When you give him those orders, he appears to open his mouth to say a word back, but instead closes it. After you continue, a sigh. "I'll try."
His eyes go wide at the sight of the coin and with a quick flick of the wrist, he catches it in midair. "Wha- you sure? I-" He runs his finger through the coin's surface, half expecting it to just disappear. "Why?" After a pause. "Thank you."
"You too." He clicks his tongue. "See you soon." Eduardo's face scrunches. He looks inward in himself if this is the charm or really him. "For real." He scampers over to the trash chute but just stands there for a second.
"Here." He comes back and hands you an un-neatly wrapped cloth. Inside, it contains Thieves' Tools. "I have a second - fourth - pair." He wasn't going to say it but the charm sort of compels him to. "If you weren't going to let me in earlier. Once you left, I was just going to pick the lock and look around." He looks away from you, yet rubs the back of his neck, "Probably would've had my hand in a mimic's stomach. So thanks."
He sets his foot on the bottom of the trash chute then hoists himself up. Not without a little salute at you, he goes in and you can hear the metal rollers clanking as he slides down.
You are left alone on an empty floor that seems to be devoid of anything really. Even looking down, there seems to be no one on the other floor's vine bridges. The birds, the insects, the rooms have all gone silent. The gentle swaying of the cut bridge serves as a squeaking reminder of the last fight. The elevator is, um, actually stuck three floors down (carrying Pak'cha and Lilly, the tabaxi bellhop) no matter how many times you try to pull on the rope to call it up.
Pondering your predicament- the letter. Yes, the letter comes to mind.
As for how did you get here? It was like that time on one of the very particularly hot days of Enerst when you were tending to those victims of heatstroke. They talked of how like being there, but not fully aware. Like grasping into a sea of nothingness. Static-y. Body being limp but still moving. Yes, hmm, so what happened yesterday? You left the clinic early that day, notified the others of having to go somewhere for the weekend, passed through the outskirts of town, the suburbs of Anya, then through the pueblos carved in those mountainsides until you landed upon this sleepy resort town. Like snapshots of an album. There are memories in being in those spaces at one time, yes. But the doing? Not so much. You just sort of did? And then you were here. But you weren't having heatstroke, were you? Maybe. Maybe not.
You can walk around the other bridges, attempt to enter any of the rooms. The option for the slide is still available. Use your rope. Try the trash chute. Chill touch to pick up the vines of the bridge and try to tie them back up? Throw something. Call out to anyone. Yell. Scream.
'Ding.'
Oh. Hmm, it seems the elevator is up.
((ahh sorry I'm not sure if I'm like forcing too much things onto your character and if I am I can totally tone it down, just let me know. also ahh gosh giving Eduardo a coin that is so sweet ))
@Argos
Irna eyes you walking slowly over to the door. She places on hand on the table.
"Wait!" She has jumped up now, nearly knocking her seat over in the process. She was quick. Lightning-fast-cheetah quick. Her hand outstretched to grab yours.
"No- I uh um sorry. I didn't know." She reels her hand back, sliding back into her seat and looking to you solemnly. Then, in a flash, in worry. "I didn't actually send the letter. I thought- ... Look. Just- just come to the show tonight. You won't regret it. You um don't have to do anything. But just thanks for coming. To the breakfast, I mean. And to the hotel. I'll have other options, yeah for sure." Her voice trembles on that last term. Her hands are doing something like an invisible cat's cradle knot.
Irna gets up slightly pacing, then reaches for the door. "I'll have to go continuing prepping."
She turns back and points to the food trays. "So, um, help yourself." She exits.
Same as Macario, thinking back on how you got here only reveals a slideshow of moving pictures of where you traveled but not in so much how. You sit and think in a room empty, white, and alone.
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Macario nods to the boy as he slips away, then lets his mind wander as he waits for the lift, attempting to slowly walk through the events of the prior day that led him to this place. Not feeling any sense of urgency, but also unwilling to bother another guest lest he be drawn into another mimic encounter, he simply stands before the empty shaft until the quiet ding snaps him out of his reverie. Had it been eerily silent just before that? He needed a coffee.
Macario steps into the elevator (nodding a polite good morning to anyone else present and pretending not to notice any strange looks at the curved blade tucked into his belt) and rides silently down to the lobby. He steps out into a crowd of people, most of them heading towards or coming from the direction pointed to by a “Complementary Breakfast” sign. Macario ignores them (and the sign), intent on finding this Inra Gonzalez or whoever was in charge here and figuring out how in the Underside someone had snuck a mimic into his room (perception 15 or investigation 11).
[[ Added one thieves' tools to Macario’s character sheet. ]]
Argos yelped when in the blink of an eye she suddenly grabbed his hand.
He sighed. Now he gets informed that she ain't given him the letter. Probably someone else...
"I'll come if you would never do that... thing you did again to me." He pointed at her and walked to the food trays. Might as well eat before the show. Unless if he gets sick from the food...
(Also its alright, I don't mind!)
'' Sure thing kid. You know the song Alandrian Twonce?''
Therdiane will pull our his flute and donations hat and start playing the extremely jumpy and exciting intro to the first more advanced song he learned. As the song progresses, (I assume the kid is also playing) I imagine he's pretty darn good, so I think we would kinda keep switching from melody to accompaniment. The song ends with a loooong note that gets loouder and louder before coming to an abrupt halt.
I'll then compliment him on how good he is, and just start a little conversation, asking how long he's been playing, why he plays whatever instrument it is he was playing, (I completely forgot...) how old he is, what his name is, etc.
After, I'll get up, grab any donations we may have racked up, (giving half of them to him, rounded down.) and head back to my room. On the way, I'll just look around to see if I can find the bellhop from earlier, and if I do, tell her that I could use whatever it was she was going to bring me, as well as ask if there is like a hot lake, or shower anywhere.
Sorry I haven't been responding as much, I people have had to d stuff with our internet, and I've had not s great stuff going on.
@Macario
When you step into the elevator, it is an uneventful ride down. And luckily for you, it is empty. One thing, unlike before, the elevator ride comes with slight jaunty background music.
You step out into the lobby. Few people notice your scimitar at first, then when they do, they quickly walk away from you. Someone even points at the fact you're barefoot, heckles, then turns to high-five their friend. But no one really gives it much thought because they're not really paying attention going to and fro. Though, they probably should because weapons are not allowed in the main lobby, but who's going to stop you? None of the bellhops, that's who, who are don't want to be stabbed by some random guest or hopefully maybe they think it is a prop for the show. Oh right, the show...
Come to think of it, you don't know how Inra Gonzalez looks like. You walk around the lobby to go find her. A couple of people are sitting in the lounge area by the receptionist desk. An especially tired looking cheetah-tabaxi has just exited the Executive Office down the hall and is powerwalking down to the lounge. She is fumbling with something in her large top hat before putting it back on her head. Some people mumble something as she walks by them. With a swish, her reddish robe flashes by you with a distinct silvery glittery name weaved into the back 'Inra of the Diviners' before she struts by and sits on a lounge chair. With a long sigh, hangs down her head in her hand, then in a jump, suddenly stands up and slams through the doors of the ballroom.
@Argos
When you say that she stops by the door, looking rather sheepish. "I- sorry about that. Thank you. Thank you for understanding. Sorry, sorry, that really wasn't level-headed of me." Gripping onto the door, Inra then begins taking deep breathes in a sort of standing-up meditative way. "Okay just breathe. You got this." She tells herself, then is out the door.
In the room you see that display spread of various food and desserts for breakfast. Its smells waft over to you, and rest assured, they are not poisonous or anything. They were set for Inra's annual breakfast before the show, and the chefs know how much Inra loves breakfast. Outside you can hear the hustle and bustle of the other guests as they walk about and do their thing. In here, it is just you and the food and your memories of the letter.
@Theradine
"Oh boy, do I?!" They seem as eager to play as you are.
'Doot doot doot. doot doot doot do doodta doota'
You two started playing together. The kid follows suit with your flute and though a bit fumbly at first manages to play in tune with your beat.
'Diddly doot doot doota doot da'
And sure enough, a small crowd of yawning guests and travel-worn families begins to form around you in the breakfast room. That family you ran into earlier has come to sit around you, the little tabaxi children gathered at your feet. Even your previous elf guide companion sits at a table by you holding a plate and stuffing his mouth with arepas, stopping from eating to clap once your performance end.
'doooooooooooooooooooot dooooooooow!!!'
Cue applause.
"YAYYYYYYYY!"
"Booooooo!" One kid blows a raspberry at you and lightly punches her brother.
Another one goes, "Do it! Do it! Do it again! Do it again!"
"I wanna play!!! Give me! Give meee!"
"I want cheese!"
'No, you can't eat that remember.' A motherly voice responds from the audience.
"AWWWW"
"Play it againnnnnn!"
But you don't. Looking at the donation hat, many of these guests didn't come here expecting to pay (since the breakfast was free) so many of them didn't bring their wallets with them when they came down. So the more generous ones threw down what little bits and pieces they had into your collection box.
You managed to accumulate 57 copper coins and 8 silver ones, making for a whopping... 1 gold coin. The child says it's okay and that you don't have to share it with them.
Sometime in the middle of it, you two start talking about each other. The child giggles when you ask them how long they have been playing. "Since forever!" They clap and do a little twirl, "It's a pan flute! My favorite."
They don't answer the age part but gives you a small smile instead, responding. "Tanya. Rhymes with Anya. Like none-ya business." They then stroll away with a little wave and escape into the crowd.
The bellhop you were with earlier, Lilly, is still stuck on the elevator with Pak'cha actually so she isn't there. You do, however, find another bellhop apparently named Twig (that's what it says on the little pin on his uniform anyways) who tells you that the (man-made) hot lake is open and is to the east of the hotel. The waterfall is also another option. And that they are working on getting running water to each room but not until next year. But you can use the public stall showers that each tree floor level has.
The new bellhop also apologizes for not having the breakfast meal for now, but just suggests you try the complimentary breakfast (although you were there earlier). He bids you goodbye and leaves you be.
((I didn't know if that was a real song or not - I couldn't find it :( - ended up with a beat that's sort of like almost meglalvonia in my head ))
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
Macario scans the lobby as he steps out of the elevator. He notices the looks he gets for openly carrying a weapon, but it's not like he really had much of a choice, right? Walking away from the complementary breakfast towards the receptionist's desk, he notices the Tabaxi woman exit the offices and dart into the ballroom and catches the name on the back of her robe. "She did say I was a guest of hers," he thinks to himself, and then quickly follows her through the doors.
Beads of sweat start coming out of his forehead. Did he do that-
(I am impeccable at predicting the time I'll sleep lol)
He took a plate and piled a small amount of food. Afterward, he sat down, for some reason that was the time his memory decided to remind him about the letter.
He muttered a bit of the parts that stood out to him. Kind of loudly
"Masquerade ball... Rift opening... Festi-"
"Oh."
@Macario
You quickly follow her through the doors of the ballroom only to find out she isn't there. The ballroom is an impressively carved out hollow in the base of the trunk. You can see that the interior designer here sparred no detail. The arching rafters leading to the roof spiral and turn like real branches. Their artificial outstretch ends in that of a chandelier where more carved tree branches spindle down, holding a very large intertwining of leaves and lanterns like an upside-down glowing tree. There's something a bit funny about making artificial designs into an actual tree.
From squinting you can actually see small dragon-like figures of the quetzal sort on each of the branches with mouths wide and their fires snaking their way towards the upside-down chandelier tree. Across the walls of the ballroom you see etched in reliefs are the landscape to this very hotel. A silhouette of the mountains cover an extensive part of the display, imposing, compared to the otherwise tinnier carving of the hotel and town itself as if the mountains were going to consume it alive. The ballroom is decorated for today, you can see it looks like very much all other Day of Trickery festiveness with the white fox masks on the tables (finally someone got them out of storage!) and the candy. The only thing pretty jarring would be the large ice sculpture of the deity themself that is currently centerpieced on stage. It drip, drip, drips, in front of you, it's icey eyes seeming to peer right through yours.
There are about 6 doors from behind you were you came in (all of which lead to the lobby - fire safety reasons). Further exploring into the back you see a door clearly marked "Employees Only" and then more down, another labeled "Backstage." There is also a door towards the left-hand side of the stage marked "Closet" then another that says "Bathrooms."
@Argos
((oh no! go to sleeeeppppp!!!))
You sit there in the executive office to ponder what have you done. It is quiet. So quiet. Only the light hissing every now and there of the magical fire heaters under each of the floating trays disturbs your silence. Your plate is piled with smatterings of ube champorado, rolls of cheesy pandesal, and guava and cheese puff pastries. Of course Inra would get the most sweetest options for you guys. That girl sure has a sweet tooth. But, the breakfast-desserts are honestly so good.
As you eat, nothing seems out of the ordinary or amiss. It is not until you finish that faint jaunty music begins coming out from the kitchen down the hallway.
You make out a scattering of lyrics:
'Forget me not... forgive what wrought... the end... to a new beginning!'
<---- me irl slow reader, even slower writer easily jumpy thanks for being patient
DM: Drakkenheim Mind and Matter + Blood Secrets + What's in the Here and Now;
Player: Dragonlance
"Strange," Macario thinks to himself as he scans the room and spots no sign of the cheetah-furred woman he had attempted to follow. His eyes linger on the "Employees Only" door for just a second before he thinks better of it and decides to leave before anyone notices that he's not really supposed to be in the ballroom yet.
He makes his way back out to the main lobby, and as the final strands of Sesisah's strength he had summoned to fight the mimic leave his body (10 min. duration on symbiotic entity), he is suddenly very conscious of the fact that he is barefoot, breaking the hotel rules, and has no way back to his room. Macario makes his way to the front desk and addresses the employee working there, doing his best to appear as friendly and non-threatening as possible. "Good morning, I'm in room..." He pauses, not quite remembering the number. Surely they had told him when he checked in? He was a bit preoccupied this morning when he left the room, sure, but he should know the number, shouldn't he? "I'm on the 6th elevator stop, and there was a bit of an incident with a mimic this morning that I'm afraid left the bridge to my room quite unusable. Would it be possible to get a repair crew up there? I'd also love to speak to Doña Inra Gonzalez when she's free, I was invited here as a guest of hers but we have yet to meet." (persuasion 19 with guidance).
[[ I was going to roll this with disadvantage just for fun because of the sword and the no shoes but then I felt like mentioning Inra would probably help so I just rolled it straight hehe. ]]