bravenewworld | The Labyrinth of the New Moon

Entry tags:

!plot

The Labyrinth of the New Moon

Most of Union was familiar now with the second world that had so abruptly inserted itself into their lives. They called it the Dream World: a place where fiction became more real than reality and where the imagination knew no bounds. If it weren't quite so intrusive, some might even find it an amusing place to visit - there were secrets to be uncovered here, surely, where the mental barriers of friends and enemies were relaxed, and powers to be taken advantage of. Who wouldn't want to host a pool party every night?

For a week, the people of Union continue to pop in and out of the Dream World until most have grown tired of the seemingly random nature of the disappearances. Low mutterings and disgruntled complaints begin to spread throughout the city, but it seems as if no one truly knows how to stop it. Giant fans to disperse the fog are suggested facetiously once, and a number of Fan Rotoms are seen working hard the next day... But such efforts amount to nothing.

On the night of the seventh day, something changes.

Those who pop into the Dream World tonight will realize immediately - the landscape has changed. Dream mists still swirl and eddy at random intervals, but the Neutral Spaces have grown dark and shadowed. There's no ominous feeling of danger, but rather... alertness. The sense that something unusual is about to happen.

Up in the sky, a shadowed moon gleams with a faint luster. A new moon. ...This is impossible, of course, but then, many things are impossible in this world. And no matter where you head, it seems as if each step takes you closer to that black moon, a gaping maw in the twilit sky... Step forward, retreat backwards, close your eyes and flee. It matters not. One more step and it has devoured you whole.

There is the sensation of falling, of spinning, of coming to an abrupt halt without feeling an impact. But when you open your eyes, you are not alone. Two or three others you may recognize are with you, and a long corridor stretches out before your group with doors dotting each side as far as the eye can see.

Welcome to the Labyrinth of the New Moon.

[OOC: All plot logs for people in the Dream World will occur here. Please make the first post with all the names of the people in your group in the subject line so people know where to post. Mod responses will come about once every 24 hours as long as at least one person has posted.

The group listings are here. We will not be running randomizers anymore, but you may still sign up with a full group of at least three if you can find one and tag in. Keep in mind though that the log may not be finished depending on when it is posted. You may also hop in an existing group as long as all existing group members give permission and the group is not full.]

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Oh... hello, Elly.

[Merrill's world has just finished spinning, and she's finally getting a chance to look around and take stock of her surroundings.]

Is this a friend of yours?

[Feeling Fei help right her, Elly shook her head a bit, hoping some sense would filter in.]

Fei? Merrill?

[Merrill, how could you be so calm right now? Elly has so much respect for you at the moment and, starting to stand, she reaches a hand out to the other woman to help her up.]

He's a good friend of mine. [~~Was that what you wanted to say, Elly?~~] Where are we? It feels like the dream world, but...

[She looks around again, then finally at the sky. The moon...]

[The moon is still there! Enormously large and still shadowed.

Strangely enough, the sky is visible when searched for and looked at directly... but when gazing down the corridor, nothing can be seen but stone blocks and wooden doors. Dreams are strange like that.]

It doesn't feel quite the same, though, does it?

[Merrill looks thoughtful for a moment.]

I don't feel like it's my dream... and if you don't know where it is either, then whose dream are we in?

It's not really mine, either. I guess we can try the doors...?

[Elly nods.]

Let's try it.

[Unless someone tries to step in front of her, Elly will try the first door they come across.]

[The door swings open! And as it does, a bright light shines forth and expands to consume the three of them.

It's a little tedious losing consciousness so much, isn't it? It's not quite a total loss of consciousness in this case, though; it just seems like the light has overwhelmed their senses.

The first thing they register when they regain control of themselves is a rather irritating, nasally voice...]

Aaaaand introducing our contestaaaaants!

[Bam. Three spotlights flick on to bathe each of them in more light. Out before them, there is... a faceless audience?]

Contestant #1: Naive and unassuming, this lovely young lady from an ancient nomadic clan is here on our stage after committing sins too terrible to speak! Uh-oh! Better not get too chummy, friends! The not-so-pure-of-heart who'd need a thousand feathers to balance out the scales: Merrrrrill!

Contestant #2: A soldier from 'distant lands', she carries a burden and a secret too great for any one person to bear! There's no doubt that no one would ever accept her once they spied out the truth! Haha - kidding, kidding! She's searching for friends in all the wrong places: Elly!

Contestant #3: He shuns conflict, preferring the brush to the sword - but perhaps the truth is just that he can't be trusted with one! That hotblooded drive didn't serve him too well before! The failure knight who's probably better off just not helping: iiiiit's Fei!

[A canned laugh track and applause follows each one of the announcer's lines, and now the man himself is clearly visible... or he would be, if it were a man. The foe who is prodding at their psychological scars and nightmares... It appears to be a Haunter in a top hat...]

Here we go, kiddies!

Say: "Traumatize me, cap'n!"

[Merrill's reaction is loud, automatic, and enthusiastic.]

Traumatize me, cap'n!

[And then she's silent for a moment or two as she goes back over everything the Haunter just said.]

...Oh. Wait. No. That wasn't good at all, was it?

[And then she glances at Fei and Elly.]

He just sounded so happy about it all!

Be careful. I don't like the sound of this one bit.

[Traumatize me cap'n, was that thing serious right now? But the things it said... Elly was immediately on edge, looking around, weapon at the ready.]

A trap?

[The crowd cheers at Merrill's enthusiastic response! Thank you for that Merrill. Top Haunter cackles for a bit before floating in front of them and snapping its fingers.]

Now remember - you're competing for this grand prize!

[There is a brief fanfare before a shower of confetti falls from the sky and something drops to the floor - whatever it is will appear differently to each of the three as an object they desire most.]

If you lose, your prize will be destroyed - and you'll never get another chance at it ever again the rest of your life! And I've got news for you if you think the top dog can't make that happen...

[Haunter floats up to the stage where a giant wheel drops now from the sky.]

But enough chatter! Here comes the first round!

Wheel of depravity, spin spin spin! Show us whose nightmare will now begin!

[The rapidly spinning wheel comes to a stop... on Merrill's face.]

Oops!

[And without further ado, everything vanishes as if it never were. The three of them will now stand in the middle of a barren wasteland... It's not likely to be familiar to anyone except Merrill, but she will recognize it as the destroyed remnants of a Dalish camp.

The voice of a child - perhaps one she recalls from her days with the Dalish - weakly calls out towards her.]

Merrill... Merrill, you're back...

[The child lies on the ground nearby, gravely wounded.]

[In Merrill's case, she sees a map to the former location of Arlathan. It's written in old Dalish and would obviously take some time to decode properly, but it is undoubtedly what she seeks. If there's anything at all left of her peoples' old civilization, that's where she needs to look first. She's excited for a brief moment before the scenery fades in.]

Tamlen...! Tamlen, what happened here?

[Her camp certainly wasn't in ruin when she left it. She was banished by the Keeper, but everyone else was fine. In fact, they'd gotten rid of her because they were worried she would bring disaster by staying. This wasn't supposed to happen at all.]

[Ohhhh, okay this was not actually anywhere they wanted to be. It would seem that whatever was controlling this maze could somehow reach into their subconscious, if Merrill was any indicator.

Rapier out, we're not doing this, friends. Elly moves to one side of Merrill, immediately on guard, giving Fei a look to follow suit. They weren't going to be able to snap her out of this so easily, and if her hunch was correct, they would need to experience whatever visions this thing constructed in their entirety in order to get out.]

Fei nods grimly and steps forward, putting his hand on Merrill's shoulder.

"It's not real!" He whispers.

Dark spirits...

[Tamlen's voice is barely audible over the sound of labored breathing.]

They tricked us... They said they knew you...

[In and out, in and out...]

I was glad that you'd found another place... I wanted to hear how you were, so I... I led them here...

[He looks up towards Merrill, but instead of speaking, he lets out an utterance of shock.]

No!

[He stares now at Fei, leaning over Merrill's shoulder.]

They're still here!

[And now, all around, shadowed figures appear around them. The spirits that the Dalish had always warned against...

Each one of them wearing Fei and Elly's face.]

Edited 2014-10-27 04:02 (UTC)

What... n-no... Tamlen...

[Merrill is completely taken in by all of this, turning to regard Fei and Elly with utter horror as the shadows close in around them. Hardening herself, she raises her staff, drawing a knife from her side with the other hand.]

It... it was you? The entire time?

[The spirits begin to congregate and converge upon the three, Fei and Elly's faces beginning to smile cruelly. Behind them, Tamlen quietly disappears from view in the manner of those who die inside say, a game.]

You are the last...

The last remaining Dalish...

[Dammit all, of course something like this would happen. Rapier at the ready, she prepares for an attack.]

Merrill, they're trying to poison your mind, turning your fears and memories against you! Don't let it win! You're stronger than this!

The masks! Take them down!

[Fei launches a blast of chi at the spirit with his face]

Right!

[Quickly sheathing her weapon, Elly send a blast of flame at the spirit with her face.]

That's not true... it can't be true!

[Merrill's pretty out of it right now. She holds up her knife, slashing her other hand open and spilling some of her own blood. Instead of falling to the ground, however, the blood flows through the air in front of her. Grasping her staff tightly, she directs the flow toward the onrushing horde of Fei and Elly-faced monsters, the tattoos on her face glowing with an unearthly purplish light as she does so. The blood splatters all over a portion of the encroaching demons, evaporating into a confusing miasma.]

(ooc: Lowers their Attack and Defense by one stage, low chance of Sleep/Paralyze effect)

[A few of the Ellyfei monsters will stagger back at the use of the blood magic, though none of them seem particularly vulnerable to the status effects given their nature. They continue relentlessly through the chi blasts and flames. After all, Fei and Elly were one of them. Elly's voice will echo back...]

The last Dalish.

Gain her trust... Give her hope... The despair will be all the sweeter. Our brethren, you have done well. Even now, you feed her agony...

Damn it! We can't take them down like this. Should we just pull her out?

[That was blood.

She was using blood to attack those things.

Momentarily frozen, Elly comes to when she hears Fei's voice, shaking off the feeling of unease.]

I don't think we have a choice.

[Elly puts a hand on Merrill's shoulder and grabs her arm, pulling her back with her. They were getting out of here.]

No! I have to finish this! I must avenge my people...!

[She'll presumably be fine once they leave her nightmare, but for now Merrill is thrashing in Elly's grasp. It's not terribly effective, though, considering Merrill's relatively slim build and lack of muscle.]

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