Haunted Halls Fall Ball

October 19th 2024
Open to Interactions!
Mentioning: @Poppy Lytle
Speech: Bold #257379
Thoughts: Bold Italics
OOC Notes: A friendly reminder for everybody! Since this has happened quite often as of late, there is an "H" in Shephard (as unique and elusive as it might be!) and can often accidentally be misspelled, autocorrected or mistyped when tagging me; please ensure it's spelled "Shephard" and not Shepard/Shepherd when tagging me, otherwise I won't get notified - this sometimes leaves me having to go back through threads to check if I've missed anything because I won't have been pinged properly. Thank you!

Casey smirked when an unfamiliar student, most likely a year or two younger than him, remarked on his opinion. At least someone knew how to take the heat off a "spooky scary" situation. He continued to peruse the room he and the others were standing in. Aside from the idle chatter coming from the rest of the crowd, Casey still found comfort in how quiet it was. He would take eerie, cautious breathing and hushed chit-chat any day of the week over loud, sudden, fear-inducing explosions... Such as that back in Hogsmeade which still gave him the odd twitch despite his recovery.

He eventually stopped by one of the dim lights in the room, his lower back pressed into the side of an old set of drawers. It wasn't until his hand rested by his side that he remembered he still carried the comic book Emily had given him for his birthday just a week ago. He took it out from the inside pocket of his jacket and examined it again. Other than a small crinkle and tear at the edge of the pages here and there, it surprisingly held up well even after going through Hell and back after Hogsmeade.

Nothing much seemed to be happening, other than a few other students trying to uncover any typical and cliché passages that might be camouflaged about the space, so after inclining a little closer to the dim light beside him, he flicked through a few pages and re-read some others, hoping that passing some time will allow for some to make something more exciting happen... Without loud noises, preferably.

_{Word Count: 398}

Action: Skim reading a comic to pass the time

Stats: Stamina: 8|Evasion: 7|Strength: 7|Wisdom: 6|Arcane Power: 6|Accuracy: 6
Abilities: Fearless |Poison Resistance

Action: coming with Yasha and deciding to keep staying close to him, trusting his Revelio
Moderated action: if Yasha doesn't succeed in casting Revelio, Kaya will attempt to cast it. If he succeeds, no moderated actions for Kaya this round.

Sta 7 • Eva 7 • Str 8 • Wis 9 • Arc 8 • Acc 7

Fearless (Y1)|Calming Presence (Y2)

Action: approaching Quentin, worried yet not knowing what to do

@Pericles Dralt

Stepping into the courtyard, Dee immediately wrinkled her nose against the smell. "Lovely," she observed, trying to let go of the tension that had accompanied her every step since they had walked past Matt and Winnie in the Great Hall. Perhaps the interesting flavours in the air here would help her get rid of the bad taste in her mouth.

Keen eyes observed the walls, the door, then she shrugged, taking a small, playful step closer to Mad's side. "Let's see what's waiting inside?" she suggested, but started walking without waiting for an answer.

If she'd expected something particularly exciting, however, she was to be disappointed. Dim light, cobwebs, none of the grandeur to be found in the Great Hall... but it did smell of mystery (among other things), and curiosity would pull her along by an invisible string (as she did Mad, by his hand). Keen blue eyes skimmed bare walls, ignoring any other attendees for the moment. There didn't seem to be anything immediately obvious, but she did like a challenge. "What do you think?" Dee asked with a smile.

In the end, there were a few things she could have tried, but sometimes, simple seemed best, and there was a spell specifically meant to reveal hidden things, after all. Slipping her hand into her bag, Dee drew her wand, aiming at the nearest wall. "Revelio."

Action | Casting Revelio at the wall!

Sta 7 | Eva 16 | Str 3 | Wis 15 | Arc 8 | Acc 20
Evasive Maneuvers | Charmer | Perfectionist | Spell Spread | Perfectionist II | Restricted Potions Section

Reducio

Charmer Allies | Madhup Hexum, Aly Salinger, Pericles Dralt, Evelynn Decipio, Winnie Harper

Inventory | Wand, Black Fire Potion x1, Essence of Dittany x1, Wit Sharpening Potion x1, Burn Healing Paste x1

Interactions: @Costanza Jewelweed @Silva Melinora + open

Outfit

Running as fast as his flimsy legs could carry him, Pyxis bounded down the halls of the castle. He wasn’t one to enjoy being late to events, and the time to the start of that night’s Whispers of the Dark was too close for comfort. He’d signed up as soon as he saw the flyers in the commons, and prepared intensively for his role. However, it was only after he put his name down that he saw information for the second activity of the Fall Ball go up. An escape room was right up his nerdy alley, but he had already committed to one activity. And as his father said always said, commitments were made to be honored. A shame that the lad had stopped caring about his parents’ advice for a while now.

Passing the entrance to the courtyard, Pyxis saw the Haunted Halls building and came to a skidding halt. Surely I have enough time to just scope the place out. Solve some puzzles real quick and dip. He didn’t have to think too hard about it. Before the snake could stop himself, he was already strutting through the entrance, taking in the plain room and its residents. Thankfully, there was no need for his eyes to adjust to the dim light as the exterior of the house was just as dark. His nose did need time to take in the stale scent, though. How the organizers managed something so authentic, Pyxis would never know.

He heard a splash and look down to find that he had stepped in some kind of puddle. Turning away with a grimace, he noted someone looking through a puddle. The girl looked like she’d taken a dip in the Great Lake before coming to the ball. And she was at the feet of the one and only Cranky. Hm. How interesting. He’d become familiar with her name last year during the last stage of the duelling tournament; Costanza. Remarkably close to the nickname he and Kaito had pinned on her.

“Hey,” Pyxis nodded at her, keeping his voice steady even though she honestly scared him. To take his mind off it, he looked down at the girl who was sifting through the puddle. He suddenly wished he’d paid more attention in Astronomy when the professor was teaching the Hot-Air Charm. “Erm, find anything in the puddle? Or, do we even know what it is? These shoes were expensive,” he pouted, holding his foot higher to inspect the wet underside of the shoe, hoping it wouldn’t stain. “Do you need a towel or something?” He didn’t know where he’d get a towel, but it felt right to ask.

No Moderated Action
STA: 10 | EVA: 5 | STR: 1 | WIS: 9 | ARC: 8 | ACC: 7
Prodigal DADA

One by one, or in small groups, students had begun to enter the strange structure. Many seemed almost displeased by what they found there, and quite a few comments were made about the state of the place. It seemed that neither Hogwarts nor international students enjoyed not knowing what they were stepping in. Once the greetings and meetings were all over, most cast their eye towards the room itself. What puzzle were they to solve? The first issue was finding it. @Aly Salinger was the first to enter the house and the first to cast her eye over it, scanning the area in search of any hints or clues. [d20 : 4] + 16 = 20 Slowly, as her keen eyes adjusted to the gloom, she would spot more details about the room. It was a rectangular shaped space, with three doors on the furthest wall from the entrance. There was various items of furniture pushed up against the walls to match the theme, and an unnecessary amount of lamps that weren't lit. @Lindsey Springhall had a similar idea, also observing her surroundings. [d20 : 1] + 14 = 15 Crit fail Although she was much less successful, immediately getting a bit of dust in her eye and not seeing much at all. Casey Stone @Emily Shephard followed the steps of his seniors in looking around the room, although he was also a victim to the dust [d20 : 1] + 6 = 7 Crit fail, twice in a row . Maybe @Costanza Jewelweed would have more luck with looking around for clues. [d20 : 9] + 8 = 17 No dust would make its way into her eyes, and she would be able to make out the silhouettes of three doors on the back wall, and various pieces of furniture scattered all around the walls of the room. Ariam Vargas @Aston Beckett would have similar luck [d20 : 6] + 8 = 14, able to make out pretty much the same things as Costanza, if in a little less detail. @Masie Gemmell also spent her time observing the room [d20 : 14] + 7 = 21, her young eyes turning up quite a few things indeed. She would spy the three doors on the far wall, many various cupboards and dressers fitting the Noir theme, and unlit lamps of various heights, shapes and styles all around the edges of the room.

Some students, deciding that their eyes alone weren't enough for investigating, decided to attempt spellwork to reveal the rooms secrets. @Zach Zaphire turned his wand towards the floor, and attempted a Revelio.

Reducio

10% auto-fail chance (Anastasia unsettling aura, procs on 19-20): [D20: 1]
Does not proc

Wis DC: 10 + 2 (Aly lovely creature) = 12
Wisdom check: [d20 : 11] + 10 = 21

His wand revealed... the puddles. Probably not something most students would want revealed. There were no entrances to secret passages hiding among the goop for him to see, just more goop. @Sere Nade was the next to try her hand at casting, this time with a Disendium. A smart idea, to open any passages that Zach's charm might have revealed.

Reducio

10% auto-fail chance (Anastasia unsettling aura, procs on 19-20): [D20: 1]
Does not proc

Wis DC 9 + 2 (Aly lovely creature): [d20 : 17] + 8 = 25
Success

Although her spell was a good one, it simply fizzled out on the floor with nothing to open. Yasha Volkov @EmmaLee LeDames also attempted Revelio, this time on the room itself.

Reducio

10% auto-fail chance (Anastasia unsettling aura, procs on 19-20): [D20: 13]

Wis DC: 10 + 2 (Aly lovely creature) = 12
Wisdom check: [d20 : 8] + 4 = 12

His spell worked, but just barely. It certainly wouldn't have earned him any awards, but it did its job, at least mostly. While all it revealed were a couple of leftover chalk lines describing dimensions of things (and a smiley face), at least it had revealed something. @Dealla Prince would follow suit in casting yet another Revelio on the wall this time.

Reducio

10% auto-fail chance (Anastasia unsettling aura, procs on 19-20): [D20: 11]
fail

Wis DC: 10 + 2 (Aly lovely creature) = 12
Wisdom check: [d20 : 10] + 15 = 25

Her spell was a decent one, and had there been any passages in that wall they may have trembled in fear. Sadly, there was not, but she was treated to a view of all the cabinets and weird lamps against the wall. Probably not exactly what she wanted to see, but it was better than nothing.

Among the spells and searching, there were some slightly more outside-the-box actions taken. @Raizel Voltrouz, Quetin Gagne @Della Barfield, @AngelFyre McCubbin, @Lina Ramirez, Kaya Rose Bennett and @Pyxis Hellebore all seemed content to greet people and chat with their friends, or do a whole lot of nothing. @Colby Vidler would try the smart approach of using her nose to locate clues on what to do next. [d20 : 19] + 4 = 23 She would certainly pick up a lot, but most of it was sadly just the stink from whatever was in those puddles. @Silva Melinora in particular seemed pretty interested in the puddles, although why she would be was anyones guess. [d20 : 8] + 6 = 14 When she got closer to the puddles, she would discover that "unidentified goop" was a pretty good description for them. It had blooby bits and smooth bits and a slightly sulphuric smell to it, but no clues hiding among its strange depths. Not that they were very deep, as any unfortunate soul who stepped it in would find. @Anastasia Blackwood-Varney would reach for the walls, also searching for passages. [d20 : 11] + 12 = 23 Her search would reveal the shape of one of the cabinets near the walls, and the walls behind it if she reached past it. Unfortunately for her, there were no hidden levels or loose bricks to trigger a way forward.

@Poppy Lytle did another unusual action for the group, deciding to stomp on the floor. [d20 : 19] + 4 = 23 She stomped down quite forcefully for someone her size, her foot finding out that the floor was very solid indeed. Ouch. That must have hurt. Although she might have been distracted by her foot, it wasn't just her that would notice the slightest change in the atmosphere of the room. If they believed in that sort of thing, they might even say that the house seemed annoyed. Acacia Murillo @Cass Ito clearly didn't believe in that sort of thing, because she immediately kicked one of the walls in frustration. [d20 : 20] + 8 = 28 Crit success Hard. Where was the strength coming from in all of these kids? A low rumbling was heard throughout the room, and the floor below seemed to shift almost menacingly. Then, with no notice whatsoever, it opened up beneath her. The thirteen year old fell through the floor and out of sight, although she didn't seem content to be quiet about it. She screamed loud enough for the whole room to hear. Before anyone could reach her to check if she was okay or try to grab her, the floor closed right back up. Seconds passed, and the floor stayed pretty solid. It was only natural for the students to be on guard after something like that happening, but it would seem that they were safe. For now.

And then, with a loud click of doors unlocking, every lamp in the room flickered on. Somehow, the light was no more comforting than the darkness had been. A clever student would be able to deduce that the click had come from the doors, but it wouldn't take a genius to go up and try to open one. When they did, they would find all three to be unlocked. Either way, the message was clear. If they wanted their friend back, they were going to have to come and get her.

OOC INFORMATION:

Reducio

- To participate in this thread, your character must be indexed. If you are confused about the index process, here is some information that might help you
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- All normal hio rules apply in this thread
- Please let me or another ball planner know if you notice any issue in the mod

"the night beckons...will you succumb? fear not her cold, icy touch, but her unforgiving gaze."

S t a t s

Stamina: 10 || Evasion: 10 || Strength: 2 || Wisdom: 10 || Arcane Power: 6 || Accuracy: 12

A b i l i t i e s
Year 1 – Seer 1 (Auto Hit/Dodge) || Year 2 – Fearless ||
Year 3 – Seer 2 (Prophecy) || Year 4 - Binding Mark

Actions
Leaving Haunted Halls and heading to Whispers in the Dark (taking Simon with me)

Items
Her wand; A hat pin; (2)Potions: Antidotes to Common and Uncommon Poisons; a few sheets of parchment and a quill

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19 Oct. 2024 – Noir Fall Gala

They had no sooner stepped out into the cool of the evening when some distant kind of thought kept circling around in her brain, refusing to be quieted. She could not quite place her finger on what exactly it was, but it was persistent and not going away. AngelFyre scanned the area and it did look suspicious, but it looked suspicious in a way that it was supposed to look suspicious.

It looked fun and intriguing is what it looked like. She loved a good mystery. Still holding Simon's hand, she moved closer to the door. Nothing about it was really remarkable except for the fact that it was so unremarkable, and oh yeah, not normally there. But even so, her curiosity was on fire.

Her free hand began its reach for the door when all of a sudden, the thought that had been circling around her mind like a buzzard waiting for its next meal to breathe its last, finally came enough into view that she remembered they were supposed to be someplace else entirely. "Simon! We will have to come back to this later, if that is even possible." She grabbed his wrist and pushed back his tux sleeve to look at his watch. Look at the time, love. We are supposed be at the Whispers in the Dark Murder Mystery! Like, in five minutes."

She lifted his wrist two inches from his nose, in a quick, but exaggerated manner, giggling as she did so, curious if his eyes would cross or not, and if they did, would she even be able to tell since his pupils were all big and dilated and it was dark. "See? We have to go. Now."

Clasping her hand in his as it fell back down to his side, she looked over at him with a mischevious grin and challenged him. "Want to race?" She smirked. "I am kidding. Running and stilettos do not go hand in hand. But we could maybe speed walk?"

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| @Dealla Prince | Mentioning Acacia Murillo |

┏		┓
	Mad's mentality had been straightforward: he believed that life was meant to be enjoyed as long as one was around to live it. He had lost his mother before he knew her, lost his father at a young age, and now all of Durmstrang had lost their Headmistress. If anything, the most recent tragedy fueled his determination to have a good time with Dealla. Every laugh he lured from her was a victory (even the ones accompanied by an eyeroll). The Durmstrang Chaser pretended not to notice the way she used his arm for balance, delighting in the unspoken chance to provide a small act of service. He did his own part to maintain appearances by keeping his muscular arm flexed until it started to cramp. A playful tease aimed at the proposal fell short however as Dee declared it wasn't a regular occurrence at Hogwarts. In fact, his date seemed deeply irritated over this one. As much as he wanted to nosily prompt her for context on whatever hot gossip was unfolding in front of them, she blatantly wanted to distance herself from the situation, so Mad- reasonable for once- decided to leave it in the ballroom behind them. He still sent an unabashed stare back at the ordeal as Dee dragged him along. Stepping out into the courtyard, it became all the clearer that Hogwarts had more of a flair for the dramatic than he'd credited it for. The organizers hadn't pulled punches in putting together an immersive experience... even down to the smells. Catching the way Dee crinkled her nose, Mad pulled a tiny vial from his vest pocket with a flourish of the wrist. Its handwritten label read "Bärnstensmusk" (Amber Musk). He uncorked its silver lid, stoppered it with his thumb, gave it a short shake and dabbed it to his neck. Dee was offered some of the stuff. If she didn't say no quick enough, he would helpfully boop a bit of it to the end of her nose. She would much rather smell his essential oil than whatever muck he was guiding her around. The stench didn't exactly cultivate a romantic atmosphere, and it would be a shame to ruin those heels. "Let's see what's waiting inside," she'd lured, so Mad played the part by sweeping his hat from his head then waving it towards the door, schmoozing horribly "La-Dees first." Things were as interesting as they were chaotic. The crowd they'd waded through in the Great Hall had spilled out into the Courtyard, so he kept close behind, hand sliding back into hers before they could be separated. He'd heard enough about these events to know that was the last thing he wanted. Aside from being odorous, the room was dark and scarcely furnished. Mad was forced to take off his sunglasses, though it wasn't as if anyone would see their sunken, sleep-deprived state in the gloom. He couldn't help but spectate in fascination as Hogwarts kids started stomping on the floor, kicking the walls, and slinging spells every which way. Dee unsurprisingly took a more rational route by casting a Revealing charm, and although it only revealed cupboards, Mad would still stand by the claim that he was teamed with the smartest person in the room. While often on the competitive side, he slacked off at the start in favor of watching her work. "What do you think?" Her smile brought him back to the moment. The Durmstrang boy pulled his hand from a pocket, gestured around the grandiose setup, and got as far as "I think-" before his catlike grin was cut short by a blood-curdling scream. In an instant, he had thrown both arms around his date to fully body-block her, watching in shock as the floor swallowed a girl whole and everyone just sort of went on with the game. As the lanterns flared to life and locking mechanisms loudly came undone, his arms reluctantly unwrapped. Mad managed to finish, "...your school is strange. And no kicking things." Only when he was sure no one was in actual peril (probably) did his concern swap for growing excitement. Knowing that there was some sort of risk involved, that this would be more than bumping around through a badly decorated house, Madhup enthusiastically moved with Dee towards the three doors. "To win a maze, you stay on the left," he declared with absolute confidence. The left-hand rule worked in a labyrinth. Maybe it was a safe choice for doors, too? Only, if he was running something along these lines, he'd have thrown in plenty of tricks along the way. A personal favorite he'd pulled on his housemates was the classic bucket balanced on the door. With how extra the organizers had gone, there might be a load of that lumpy puddle stuff waiting to spill from overhead to ruin their impeccable outfits. At the risk of miscasting yet another spell in front of the Dealla Prince, Madhup tugged his wand from behind his ear and aimed it up ahead, incanting "Aberto!"
┗		┛

Casting the Opening Charm on the left door. Going through whether this works or not
Calming Presence allies: Dealla Prince & Durmstrang students or staff

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness with relative ease. The space was, in many ways, just like a nighttime alleyway in the city. The cupboards, dressers and lights befit a row of wayward shops illuminated by streetlights. The only difference was the style—this all seemed lost in time somehow. Even the doors.

"Look," she said to the others, pointing towards the three doors for those who hadn't yet seen them. Maisie was just studying them—a choice was clearly to be made—when the unthinkable happened.

There was a rumbling noise—was something there?—that filled the space. And suddenly it seemed like the area was starting to shift and blur. Maisie looked down—her feet were still there.

But someone else's weren't.

Her eyes went wide as she watched one of the foreign students, a girl, almost fall through the ground. Her scream ran across the floor and up the walls before filling the entire area. Maisie looked down at the floor again, but there was no hole nor anything that gave any sign of what just happened. Somewhere there was a click, but it was hard to determine from where that sound came. She looked around to see what everyone was doing. There were some older students, who might lead the way.

One did (Madhup Hexum), veering off to the left, while a girl took for the middle door. For a moment, Maisie considered simply trying to locate the clicking noise. But there was no time.

There was only action. Otherwise, the girl might be gone. If the left and middle were covered, Maisie walked right up to the right door and pressed it open. Keeping her eyes wide, she'd look for the missing girl—or anything else.

Action: Opening the right-hand door and peering inside.
Open to interactions.
Stamina: 7 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 2 | Wisdom: 7 | Arcane Power: 4 | Accuracy: 8