29 May 2021, 15:38
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
Orpheus he went, as poets tell,
To fetch Eurydice from hell
And had her, but it was upon
This short, but strict condition;
Backward he should not look,
while he led her through hell's obscurity.
But it happen'd, as he made
His passage through that dreadful shade
Revolve he did his loving eye,
For gentle fear of jealousy;
And looking back, that look did sever
Him and Eurydice forever
-Robert Herrick
────•❀•────
Desire is like fog on a mirror,
You need to wipe it off to see yourself clearly again
Hogwarts on its own was a fascinating place, there were some eerie, but also calming vibes radiated from the castle wall. But not tonight, the blossom ball decoration just made it incredibly creepy. The black veil that surrounded the courtyard area looked identical to the gate to the death or something like that. If she was not one of the blossom planners, anyone could find her wrapped around her blanket like a grumpy burrito in her dorm room. But instead, with every hair on her body involuntary raised due to the coldness and slight hidden fear, she tried to stand bravely at the entrance of the Orpheus trial and waited for some students who decide to waste their time and participate in the trials to impress their dates, if they have one.
Like Orpheus losing his Eurydice, Aurora thought it was best not to bring a date to the ball, it wasn’t like someone ask her anyway, it could be her best excuse if someone asked her why she went alone. The music from the spring area could not be heard from where she stood, she wondered if someone decides to play those peculiar muggle music to confuse the purebloods. Hopefully, they will play that song about a coconut. She needed to be patient for a little longer before seeing the spring area with her own two eyes.
Leading the trial was quite a burden for Aurora. She had to greet people with such enthusiasm which she rarely had. But, she was trusted with the task, guess she had no choice but to do her best. Once the ‘heroes’ or participants arrived, Aurora cleared her throat as she began to do a speech which she arranged two weeks earlier so she will appear confident and prepared.
“He- Hello” Really? Hello? Two weeks preparation, you started with hello?
“Welcome to the trial of Orpheus.”She looks at each one of the 'heroes' with a small smile. “This will be the path to exit the underworld. All you need to do is not look back and keep walking straight no matter how much you want to, but that won’t be as easy as it sounds of course.” There was a pause for a couple of seconds as she tried to remember other important things that needed to be told but nothing came out from her tiny brain. “Allllriiighhttttt, please enter now! and…. I’ll see you on the other side!”
Or not
What would people’s desires be? Will they manage to survive the task that was given? Or will it too much for them?
────•❀•────This is one of the six trials available in the blossom ball event. The trials are non-mandatory post as they are only side activities that you could do. You need to post in all of the six trials to be eligible to win the prize.
Only one action is needed, and you have to be indexed with an approved trunk
you must declare ONE action in a round of the Underworld to participate
Write a minimum of 200 words of your character walk through the bridge alone. During that time, your character will hear sounds of their deepest desire. Make sure to describe how it sounds, what do you think it was, and your character's emotions. All your character needs to do is resist the temptation to look back to see the sound source. Remember, it will be your character's Deepest Desire. You cannot write the outcome (success or not) as it will be based on your wisdom roll, moderated by me (Aurora OOC).
Be creative and have fun! Don’t hesitate to owl me or contact me on discord (Allethd#6336) for any questions.
Some stories should never be told...
29 May 2021, 17:11
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
English = 5D4A64 | Russian = 4E7A27For Moderation:Irina had moved onto this trial first just because it was the closest one to what she believed was called the underworld. She was really excited to take part in the activities going on and when she arrived at the trial she was greeted by a younger girl. Apparently this was named the trial of Orpheus and all they had to do was walk straight on a path.
It seemed so easy but Irina had a gut feeling that it wasn’t going to be as easy as it sounded. Nevertheless, she was never one to stray away from an adventure or challenge and was ready to start walking. Placing one foot in front of the other, motivation flamed in Irina and she started on the bridge.
She had already figured out that something was up but when she heard her dad’s voice she was genuinely surprised. The girl had said to not look back and that was still in the forefront of Irina’s mind. Then her dad started talking about how proud he was of her and how much he regretted ever leaving her. It didn’t feel real though, Irina knew what her dad really thought of her but she had always wanted him to come back to her.
Don’t look back, it’s not real, it’s not real. Just keep taking one foot in front of the other. He doesn’t love you and will never come back. Just keep walking. Don’t think on it, he’s not real. Her mind was in a whirlwind and his voice was resurfacing so much for her. Him leaving, the days after hoping that he’d come back. It was taking ever once in her not to look back at him and reconnect her family but she knew she couldn’t look back.
WC: 296ReducioAction: Attempting the trial
Stats: STA: 8 | EVA: 8 | STR: 7 | WIS: 9 | ARCP: 6 | ACC: 7
Heath points: 800/800
Abilities: Sixth Sense, Fearless, and Calming Presence
Effect: +2 to their awareness rolls. If a player attempts to enter a thread that you are already in, there is a 25% chance that you automatically detect them on entry.
Effect: Fear effects such as a dhmpir's aura, the ability terrible presence, a lycanothrope's intimidation or certain charms, potions and jinxes that would normally cause a fear effect do not work on you as you are immune to them.
Effect: An aura of calm. Allies (defined at the START of an instance regardless of later betrayal) gain a 10% chance to auto-hit their chosen target. This does not stack.Trials tracker: [Orpheus] [Hades] [Hecate] [Persephone] [Hermes] [Apollo]
Last edited by Lavinia Cloven on 30 May 2021, 20:57, edited 1 time in total.
| Lavinia Cloven Irina Afanasyeva | | STA: 10 | EVA: 18 | STR: 7 | WIS: 8 | ARCP: 6 | ACC: 29 | Foulplay, Interception, Evasive Maneuvers, Keen Eye, and Muggle Condition | --—--#337085 |
30 May 2021, 18:21
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
♠ No Interactions ♠
♦ Running Through the Trials ♦
♠ Metamorphmagus ♠
♦ Cats Grace ♦
♦ Cats Grace ♦
Orpheus. A man who possessed one of the saddest and equally irritating stories of all the characters introduced in Greek Mythos. He had been given a chance, and then, at the last moment, completely destroyed that chance. He walked from the cold plane of the Underworld, to save his ghostly wife, only to lose her right at the gate, only because he couldn't keep his eyes on the path in front of him. He just had to turn around. Truly tragic. Xailah liked to think that Orpheus' fate would not befall her. Alas this was a trial built from temptations. It was virtually such a simple concept- and because of that, it was easily one of the scariest. The last two trials did not test a persons own mind and spirit- or the faith they had in themselves. It flaunted fake promises, and false hopes in the faces of those who bent easily at the concept of desire. If there was one task Xailah was almost certain to fail, it was this one. She was a slave to temptation. She had so many hopes that she thought would never breach the surface, to see the light. Deep desires, that would remain submerged.
There was natural intrigue- not even Xailah knew her deepest desire. Yet. She was far too lost to know it; and far too young to understand it. Too early for it to be certain. Her flesh prickled when she heard the fading echoes of the first call. It was so faint- she wasn't entirely sure she heard anything at all. But then she heard the sound again. It was still muffled, but having now been made aware that there was in fact a sound; she was more able to decipher what was being said. Her name was being called.
The disembodied voice was unfamiliar. She had not heard it before. It floated through the air, like a leaf guided by a soft wind. Blessed the metamorphs ears with its sound. It was so simple, but at the same time so powerful. It continued calling, coaxing the lioness into looking its way. Xailah wanted to turn, she really did. She knew that she would fail the trial. She knew that she would only find herself face to face with nothingness- disappointment. But she so desperately wanted to understand. In an attempt to drown out the noise, she began to hum to herself. Her needly teeth dug into the flesh of her cheek. Don't look back. Don't do it.
Reducio
Outfit
Dress drawn by me. Design was inspired by this lovely illustration made by @skullflower_ on Instagram.
Dress drawn by me. Design was inspired by this lovely illustration made by @skullflower_ on Instagram.
Desperately trying to resist the temptation of looking back.
Before me, you rightly tremble. But, fear is not what you owe me. You owe me awe....
Stamina: 12 ~ Evasion: 17 ~ Strength: 2 ~ Wisdom: 16 ~ Arcane Power: 4 ~ Accuracy: 17
Student Account: Martyr Daeva-Lazarus
1 Jun 2021, 20:28
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
Durmstrang 3rd year Yefim Rumyantsev
This trial seemed exceedingly simple. Walk forward and resist the temptation to turn around-- who did they think he was? There was nothing on the planet that Yefim cared more about than winning and domination, this was going to be a cake walk. He could almost feel offended that they would call this a challenge. More like a gateway from one challenge to the next, and easy and casual breather. Then again, he didn't really need a breather since none of the trials seemed even remotely exhausting. If this competition was taking place at Durmstrang, better bet there would be ten times more lava pits and buzz saws.
Once he started crossing the bridge, with the only instruction being not to look behind him, he heard a familiar voice, one he hadn't heard in two whole years. [Yefim, my beloved son, the ritual is complete. I've come to take you away from this wicked world, I'll take you to the heavens where you belong.] It couldn't be real, could it? Here, while he was in this place, so far from Moscow? Yefim's steps slowed, the urge to flip around and run to his father extremely overwhelming. After all, this child's trial meant nothing in the face of his grand destiny, the one he was born for. If he didn't ascend when he was called, wouldn't it be the biggest mistake of his life?
Health
600/600
Stats
◇Sta: 6 ◇ Eva: 7 ◇ Str: 10
◇ Wis: 3 ◇ AP: 4 ◇ Acc: 10
Abilities
Martial Artist
Terrible Presence
Trunk
(Russian is spoken in brackets)
For we dreamed a lot//And we schemed a lot//And we tried to sing of love before the stage fell apart
Sta: 9 ★Eva: 5 ★Str: 7 ★Wis: 15 ★AP: 3 ★Acc: 15
2 Jun 2021, 07:05
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
It seemed simple really as the instructions of the trial were laid out. All you had to was walk and not look back. That was it though Elena suspected something nefarious was at play here. She didn't know much about this supposed deity called Orpheus but she knew roughly his background and it was a sob story worth reading if you asked her. The girl ran a hand through her brown hair wondering what would be on this path they undertook. Perhaps some sort of monster would pounce upon them, maybe some sort of obstalce in an attempt to turn them back, it surely could not be that easy. Elena had been through far too many things to know what when something looked too good to be true, it typically was. Inhaling a deep breath as she stared down the length of the bridge, the Gryffindor focused soley on the one instruction that would see her through this challenge and also be her lifesaver. Don't look back, right, she could do this. Elena smoothed out the front of her dress mentally preparing herself before placing one heel on the foot of the bridge.
"Here goes nothing." She muttered to herself starting on the curious yet challening journey. The first few steps were peacful, and without error and spurred on by this, she took another step than another until it culminated into a gentle walking pace as she settled into a rhythm. There was something in the back of her head, the Gryffindor couldnt quite make out what it was at first as she traveled the bridge but with each footstep, it seemed to get louder and louder and louder. The brunette's eyes widened as she realized it was the voice of her brother, Darren Jangleton who had been disinhereited from the family years ago and someone her heart yearned to see again. He had been her other half, her supporter and now she was stuck in between a rock and a hard place except this time the rock was her parents. The voice seemed to echo over and over in her head reminding her of Darren, his smiling, laughing face and she almost got the sense that he was calling to her.
Her step wavered for a moment as Elena yearned to turn her head just to satisfy her curiousity. She knew she shouldn't, she had to keep going. "Not real, Elena. Not real." The girl muttered under her breath closing her eyes to relax herself, the steps coming slow and steady noticeably slower than before but as long as she was making progress, it was alright. The gentle voice of her brother was replaced by the smiling, laughing face of her sister, two siblings ripped away from her in a very brutal manner and she wanted nothing more in this world than to see them again, a reality that Elena Jangleton knew all too well that was impossible. A mixture of desperation and concentration formed on her features as she forced her legs forward, hands shaking as both the voices of her sister and brother merged into one and then split back into two again beckoning to her, calling to her. "Can't be too long now." She said through gritted teeth, her hands shaking, eyes scanning for some relief to what had started out as a relatively simple task yet turned into an errand that was well beyond her capabilites.
STA: 9| EVA: 10|STR: 6|ArcPower: 5|WIS: 15|ACR: 10
3 Jun 2021, 02:42
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
All she had to do was make it across the bridge for the first trial, which in her head upon first impressions was simple. However, she didn't expect to begin to hear things that were out of place with the scenery around her. At first it was the subtle sound of bowling water and then the shuffling of feet. She brushed it off as something that may be beneath the bridge and the footsteps of other participants in front of her.
Then came the voices. They were gentle and kind, saying her name with what felt to be unimaginable admiration. "Adlai, Adlai turn around." it coaxed. "Look at us, Adlai." Upon hearing the voices a second time she shook her head. "I'd rather not, thank you." she replied not knowing who or what she was talking.
"Don't you miss us though, Adlai? Don't you want to come home?"
Home...what about home? Who was talking to her? They certainly weren't her parents voices, since she could recognize them in almost an instant, and it definitely wasn't her sisters. It couldn't possibly be her great aunt since there seemed to be multiple people.
"Won't you turn around Addie? won't you come and sit with us?" Addie? That was a name she hadn't heard much since her both of her grandparents had come to visit last school year. That must mean it's grandparents who are talking to her. A jolt of excitement bloomed in her chest, then suspicion. What would her grandparents be doing at Hogwarts? They knew nothing of this place or that magic existed. Meaning...it couldn't be her grandparents, not really. This was just some kind of nasty trick, some kind of horrible magic she knew nothing about.
Solemnly, she trudged forward and paid no mind to the calling of her name from the voices of her dearly beloved grandparents, and eventually made it to the end of the bridge.
Adlai Winifred Rod
3 Jun 2021, 20:49
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
Closed to interactions outside of moderation
OutfitThe idea of a trial to test one's will was almost laughable. There were so very few who could even begin to guess what Pericles' wants and wills were. At times, even he hardly knew what he wanted! He amused himself with wondering over how they may try to tempt him. Would he hear the sound of forbidden tome pages rustling in the wind? He huffed a laugh at the thought, though the sound surprised him with how nervous it sounded. He didn't know what to expect. That was never ideal.
He proceeded, waiting, wondering, listening. Tentative confidence mounted until the moment he heard it: "Pear!" A woman's voice, clear as a bell and sweet as lilies, lined by a laugh and woven with an Irish brogue. His breath caught, eyes went wide, head began turning out of reflex only to forcibly resist at the last moment. It sounded so far, yet utterly unmistakable. "...Abi?" the boy breathed. Why was she here? They didn't allow visitors to these functions... did they? "If you think this is fun," came her playful tune, "wait 'til I take you to the real Greece!" How could it not be her? That was her voice! Not a soul at Hogwarts had met her, if perhaps faculty who had been around for a decade. Could one of them have been put up to this? Yet how could they have known what he wanted...?
A thought struck, and his stomach sunk. If it wasn't Abi, and it wasn't a professor, what kind of magic could have possibly replicated this? This was too advanced for students to pull off. What did he know about temptations spells? Was there something in the air? What if, what if, what if. The uncertainties had him pulled taut between curiosity, wariness, and mounting anxiousness. Pericles was frozen on the path. Though he wouldn't admit it, he hoped to hear it again. Seeing Abigale after her long treks away was one of the greatest joys he'd known throughout his relatively isolated upbringing. She was fiercely brave, cunning and courageous, his best friend before he'd had, well, friends. "Musha... do you not want to come on my next expedition?" He realized he oughtn't have been so surprised. Of course this was his deepest desire: investigation yes, exploration sure, but especially, traveling the world with someone he cared about immensely. Could it be real? If not, how were they doing this? What was greater: his desire to understand the voice, or his will?Attempting to complete the walk and resist turning around
Underworld | Hades | Hecate | Orpheus | Hermes | Persephone | Apollo | Aftermath
(Abigale belongs to a friend, shared this post with her/mentioned her character with permission)
Reducio
﴾ Stamina - 7 | Evasion - 7 | Strength - 4 | Wisdom - 8 | ArcPower - 8 | Accuracy - 7 ﴿
Perfectionist - Reduced crit range by 1, counters 1 point of crit fail caused by abilities or spells
Keen Eye - 25% chance of automatically finding something (if there is anything to be found)
Perfectionist - Reduced crit range by 1, counters 1 point of crit fail caused by abilities or spells
Keen Eye - 25% chance of automatically finding something (if there is anything to be found)
{ 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢 𝔴𝔞𝔰 𝔞 𝔟𝔬𝔶: 𝔞 𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔶 𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔢, 𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔟𝔬𝔶. 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔰𝔞𝔶 𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔶 𝔣𝔞𝔯 𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔰𝔢𝔞. }
(iNPC: Madhup Hexum)
4 Jun 2021, 17:18
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
Mikael stood in front of the black veil. It seemed to billow and sway filled with shadows of worse things than death. He wondered if it had a mind of its own. Whether or not it was watching for one of them to look away for long enough. The boy frowned as he felt a coldness move about him. Reminding him of the cool days back in Norway. It was like being welcomed back home if the home was distorted by a mirror. It simultaneously relaxes him as much as it rose the hairs on the back of his neck upwards. Mikael held in the urge to dart his eyes about. Instead, staring straight ahead as he waited for this girl to let them enter. The instructions seemed clear enough to not under any circumstances look behind oneself. It was simple straightforward, but it also raised a few questions. Exactly why? Would there be someone following behind making noises to try and scare people into looking behind themselves? Mikael would not allow himself to be tricked so easily by silly little things. He had seen far worse in the blank walls of a home that was as distant as it was close. No matter. He would pay nothing heed. The boy moved forward to start the trial.
Russian (Default) | Norwegian | EnglishLovely Creature ⋅ Terrible Presence| Sta 8 | Eva 8 | Str 8 | Wis 3 | Arc 4 | Acc 9 |
PC: Percival Rainwood
4 Jun 2021, 19:59
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
Permission given to godmode Drew being there given by Rose Moon
Interacting: Andrew Lycan@Rose Moon | Cassie Heather@Lucia Fox | @Scarlett Aden
Mentioning:
Word Count: 741/200
OOC Note: The dialogue isn't really Andrew 'Drew' Lycan dialogue, just the 'deepest desire' or illusion so I'm not godmoding Drew's dialogue
Charles was ready for a trial that didn't involve magic or answering questions. The third year wanted to win the competition that his friends or group came up with it, he thought him and Drew would be able to earn more points than the girls but now he wasn't sure... Charles knew Cassie a bit, as much as any friend knows about their friend but he wasn't sure about her red head partner. Scarlett was more of the question but no matter, the boy was determined to have fun with his friends and perhaps win their competition... he may have been a bit competitive occasionally.
Charles would throw his arm around Drew as they walked to the next on smiling toward him as he spoke" we can still win this Drew," giving him a playfully squeeze around the shoulders as he continue, " just wait, we'll have more points soon my friend."
However when Charles heard the strange little Hogwarts girl say the challenge, he might have been a bit too confident with succeeding as he gave a half smile to Drew and spoke" sounds easy, good luck partner," Charles would approach the bridge but before entering he would turn to Drew one last time and give him a two finger salute with a small nod.
Charles would step onto the bridge and began walking down it, leaving his wand tuck away in a pocket of his marching jumpsuit as he kept his eyes straight forward not daring to look back.
At first, he thought it was easy there were only minor sounds playing around him like whistles or snaps but then he heard a voice.
"Charles"
A familiar voice. One that he heard recently. The blonde would come to a halt trying to figure out who just said his name but keeping his eyes forward when he realized that the voice belonged to his friend, maybe even close friend; Andrew 'Drew' Lycan.
Of course Drew wasn't really there and Charles knew that since the bridge had to be walked alone and the blonde was pretty sure his desire wasn't his friend. He thought at first perhaps it was mistaken or something.
"Charles, where are you going? Come back! I have something to tell you, please!
Charles would run a hand through his hair believing that he wasn't phased by the voice, he didn't show it and wasn't putting any thought through it as he started to walk again however he would go back to a halt when he heard his friend's voice again.
"Charles please wait! Don't go, please! Charlie, I love you!
And suddenly the blonde fell frozen in his place. His heart felt like it was pounding and his breathing quicken almost as a smile grew on his lips, he wasn't expecting to react to the words he heard but he did. And he hadn't had a clue.
Charles wasn't sure why he reacted to his friend telling him that he loved him but all of a sudden had was feeling anxious and awkward but also happy. Charles couldn't put his finger on the answer but he did want for some reason wanted to run toward Drew and hug him tight and tell him the exact same thing.
"I love you Charles! I always have, your incredible how could I not have? Could you say it back Charles? Can you turn around?"
Charles felt his heart skip a beat and his mind race as he was ready to shout out "Drew I love you" to anyone that could hear him and his feet was ready to run to the voice.
That was the moment that the blonde realized that he was gay and had a crush on his friend.
That being with Drew was a larger desire for him than getting acceptance or praise from his family. That hearing Drew say those three words to him was more important than getting a new broom or making the quidditch team. That being with Drew or rather dating Drew was his desire.
Charles wanted to turn back, he wanted to see if his friend was actually there or if it was just the voice. The young lad knew it was the voice but or didn't stop his smile or heart, he still had a urge to turn and run to the voice. Charles tried to calm himself, he tried to look forward and looked forward but it was hard as he also heard his friend and apparently crush's voice behind him.
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Hades | Hecate |Orpheus(Here) | Hermes | Persephone | Apollo
Last edited by Henry Knight on 10 Jun 2021, 20:52, edited 6 times in total.
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander
6 Jun 2021, 12:59
Blossom Ball - Trial of Orpheus
Reducio
Outfit
Dan was beginning to feel the fatigue set in.
He had done the Trial of Apollo first, where he riverdanced his heart out. Nothing major.
Then came the Trial of his dad, Hermes. Which was a footrace. He still wasn't TOO tired after that.
Then... On top of that, he had a timed flower hunt for the Trial of Persephone. More running. This was starting to get to the young, barefooted son of Hermes.
He could take it though. He'd gone through much worse on his quests over the two summers he'd been at camp. A leg workout was nothing compared to all the walking and camping he and his mates did to find Cerberus.
Receiving instruction, Dan found that all he had to do was walk and not look back. Simple enough.
....Except it wasn't. Dan was less than confident in this one. Curiosity was something that came naturally to Hermes kids. And was hard to resist. But, he would try.
Dan turned, and started walking. At first it was simple, nothing happening, just walking. Nothing but the muted sound of his bare feet on the ground.
"...Dan?"
And there it was. What Dan knew was coming as soon as he heard what was going to happen. The voice, in English with a slight German accent. The voice he could never forget. Someone that he loved, and who left and never came back after the first kiss.
Oswald Vanigton.
"Dan, I know I've been gone a while. But, Everything is sorted out now! And I was.... hoping we could go back to the ball together?"
Dan's breathing started picking up speed. But he kept walking.
"Look, I know you're probably mad... and heartbroken... But, just turn around, and we can have a talk. We'll get this sorted out, and we can be together again!"
Dan gritted his teeth.
It isnt real. Ozzy isn't coming back. I know better than that.
Dan continued to walk, trying to resist turning around.
(WC: 330)
Actions: Entering the Trial of Orpheus, and attempting to walk without turning around.
Stats:
STAMINA: 9
EVASION: 10
STRENGTH: 4
WISDOM: 9
ARCANE POWER: 6
ACCURACY: 9
Abilities:
Keen Eye
Evasive Maneuvers
Lovely Creature