8 Jul 2019, 17:35
Adventure of the Mad Mage
How it Starts...
In a world where history is everything, where your pedigree dictates more than your past but also your future, it is astonishing to think that they forgot. Two hundred years ago, the wizard Gilibrand Voss journeyed from the Isle of Man to Hogwarts to become a student under the watchful eye of a master Sorcerer, Salazar Slytherin. Sly and cunning, not unlike many of the students Salazar brought into his house, Gilibrand proved to be an exceptional student and perhaps he acceded to the whispered summons of providence. After Salazar left Hogwarts, young Gilibrand stayed and would have become a wizard of great reknown had it not been for the fact that upon his graduation from the the fledgling academy of magic he disappeared.
There were rumors that Gilibrand tapped into an immense power his senior year in Hogwarts and that he never left the grounds. On occasion the early Professors reported seeing a young man matching Giliband's description on the grounds or walking the halls, but as the seasons wore on, the reports lessened until the enigmatic student was nothing more than a memory.
A generation later, rumors of a strange man wandering the dungeons of Hogwarts were mumbled between students. Some of the Slytherin students would report feeling their bed quaver at all hours of the day or night. Little did they know, Gilibrand was tunneling beneath the school creating a maze-like network that reached far beneath the earth. On rare occasion a child would go missing with enough rarity that the errant children were considered runaways the decades the followed, although some of these children had merely stumbled upon the labyrinth erected by "the Mad Mage" and within those dangerous halls met an untimely fate.
Gilibrand was simply a wizard gone mad for reasons unknown. The wizard kept the nature of his underground dealings a secret as this great architects had long ago lost his mind to dark reason. The souls of the lost children that stumbled upon the twisted dwelling of the Mad Mage were trapped with his dark magic; while the bodies and minds of others were twisted into something terrible and inhuman. Tunneling onward and downward, indulging his inexplicable compulsion for delving deeper in the stone beneath this Scottish castle.
This is how real dungeons, the sort that adventurers explore develop. This harrowing network of tunnels hewn into the stone proved inadequate in the deranged wizard's mind. The deeper he went, the more there was to protect. Gilibrand would fill the tunnels with all matter of strange and dangerous creature, populating and defending the dungeon became an obsession. Over time, the mage’s preoccupation with this vast expanse suffused the very air with an uncontrollable madness.
The dungeons themselves always had a dreariness to them, the sort of place that one sequesters themselves in to reflect the depths of their own depression or to demonstrate their courage by ambling these dark corridors on their own. It is of course not the dungeons that are dangerous but rather that lay beneath. The reason dark creatures are drawn to places such as this is because of the hidden ruin beneath the facade of a glorious institution. It was what drew the hags, not that they understood it. This wretched knot in the fabric of existence, this wickedness borne from the madness of a single man deep in the bowels of the earth and the blight that spreads from the very roots of the castle. Consciously, the appeal seemed simpler -- a readied food supply and a concentration of corruptible youth to debase. However, in truth there was an obsession that mirrored Gilibrand's own felt by those hags who, like moths to a flame, would call to increase their numbers and their power. The call entirely subconscious, they too have in a way already succumb to the remnants of Gilibrand's madness and have enhanced it with their own.
Hags...
Hags are one of the few sentient creatures that seem to lack the ability to choose a righteous path, a personification of everything that is malicious and wicked. While their outward appearance would appear to be that of a withered crone, there is no frailty in these terrible creatures whose forms only mirror the atrocious nature of their souls. Drawn to Hogwarts by the madness buried deep within the heart of this landscape, a coven of hags has found a home on the fringe of the Forbidden Forest that borders Hogwart's grounds and a second coven has found a home inside the caste itself, within the dungeons themselves.
Hags are capable casters, they can alter their forms, hex their enemies and give power to those that seek it. Arrogant and cruel, their magic is a blasphemy to the wizarding world for its inherent darkness and corrupting nature. Bargains with a hag are exceedingly dangerous, bargains with a hag typically involve demands to compromise principles or to give up something dear in exchange for a boon that most often is undermined by what is lost or no longer has value once the foul cost is extracted from their unwitting victim.
Hags are known to make lairs in gloomy forests, stinking swamps, and sites of former catastrophy. In time, the countryside around a hag’s dark, noxious lair reflects the creature’s lethality, such that the estate and surroundings lands can (and do) lash out and massacre intruders. Such is the case in the woods, those woods had been corrupted a long time ago. This coven has only taken up residence for several months, perhaps a year. Yet there are some changes already, the shadows simply do not appear to be "right" as they appear to move of their own accord. Sometimes it looks as if they are reaching out for a passerby when their back is turned with impossibly long fingers that they try to wrap around their throats... yet they seem to lack form. For now.
Hags are one of the few sentient creatures that seem to lack the ability to choose a righteous path, a personification of everything that is malicious and wicked. While their outward appearance would appear to be that of a withered crone, there is no frailty in these terrible creatures whose forms only mirror the atrocious nature of their souls. Drawn to Hogwarts by the madness buried deep within the heart of this landscape, a coven of hags has found a home on the fringe of the Forbidden Forest that borders Hogwart's grounds and a second coven has found a home inside the caste itself, within the dungeons themselves.
Hags are capable casters, they can alter their forms, hex their enemies and give power to those that seek it. Arrogant and cruel, their magic is a blasphemy to the wizarding world for its inherent darkness and corrupting nature. Bargains with a hag are exceedingly dangerous, bargains with a hag typically involve demands to compromise principles or to give up something dear in exchange for a boon that most often is undermined by what is lost or no longer has value once the foul cost is extracted from their unwitting victim.
Hags are known to make lairs in gloomy forests, stinking swamps, and sites of former catastrophy. In time, the countryside around a hag’s dark, noxious lair reflects the creature’s lethality, such that the estate and surroundings lands can (and do) lash out and massacre intruders. Such is the case in the woods, those woods had been corrupted a long time ago. This coven has only taken up residence for several months, perhaps a year. Yet there are some changes already, the shadows simply do not appear to be "right" as they appear to move of their own accord. Sometimes it looks as if they are reaching out for a passerby when their back is turned with impossibly long fingers that they try to wrap around their throats... yet they seem to lack form. For now.
The Start of an Adventure...
For whatever reason, likely curiosity or a thirst for adventure you have decided to explore the dungeons in the basement of Hogwarts. The passageways feel endless, dark and for the most part isolated. There is this sense of loneliness that would accompany your adventure had it not been for the fact that you were not alone. @Landon Storm, @Angellica Rowley and @Marla Quinlan were traveling together. How they met? Unknown. This was likely their first meeting in fact. Brilliant minds that happened to think alike being a likely explanation. It was not as if they were doing anything wrong by wandering here, but leaving the beaten path as they had would have been met with disapproving glances. The walls here were barren and the floors filthy, even the House Elves failed to travel this far.
You might have even lost your way, a disconcerting notion but there were a finite number of paths one can go -- in time you would find your way back to familiar territory. At least you can hope. There was no light here, less the light at the tip of your wand if you were familiar with the Lumos Spell or brought with you a candle (one can be bought in the shop). Who would want to turn away now? The dungeon was just getting interesting, if you are lucky enough you might even find a cell that once housed a terrifying prisoner or the rumored Chamber of Secrets.Stumble upon one another or enter together, either is fine. This is simply a set-up for the adventure scenario.
Curiosity likely drove the Ravenclaw, the call for adventure the Gryffindor and the potential for an advantage over his peers the Slytherin. They would find themselves in a space unlike the rest, a large room about sixty feet long and forty feet wide. This chamber was barren less a pair of statues -- an angel and a demon. The demon would stand alone to one side in an alcove with his shoulders squared and a smug look carved into his face. The demon would stand to the other side, her delicate features contorted into an expression of fear and her glowing gown ripped and torn, the artist depicted a moment of abject terror and carved that very expression onto her face.
Above is a map of the setting you are in, there are multiple tunnels leading to this room so you may claim that you came upon each-other here or traveled together.
This is an adventure, so there will be a variety of maps used in this adventure and the acquisition and use of spells of strongly encouraged. The more spells you know, the more capable you will be when you try to deal with the puzzles or various threats. I do not expect you to get through the entire dungeon/adventure but this should be fun. I have asked a Professor to assist you in this adventure but he might get a late start and you can adventure without him.
To start: meet and greet. This way I know if you are actually interested in participating. If you are not, I will replace you with the next highest point earner for the month.
There is something about ambition, how it not only propels you but also defines you.
8 Jul 2019, 22:51
Adventure of the Mad Mage
It had been a long prevailing rumor that there was more to Hogwarts that had met the eye. Years ago, there were a set of students that had found a magical room and even a hidden chamber deep within the stomach of the castle. Their adventures had prompted many future generations of students to venture out and see what other secrets hid behind stonewalls and in between the dark crevices of each corridor. But it wasn’t their stories that had struck a curiosity deep within Landon.
Toward the completion of his first year at Hogwarts, he would randomly be awoken in the middle of the night by a sudden shake of his beds which he had always assumed were his dorm mates playing yet another trick on him. It wasn’t until Landon had heard of the rumors of a long deceased wizard who roamed the dungeons below the Slytherin dorms that he finally had the nerve to awaken one night while his fellow peers slumbered away.
It had been the closing of the year and with classes finally over, many students were taking advantage of not needing to stay up late to study or … procrastinate. Landon had crept out of his bed, fully robed in his Slytherin greens and decided to venture toward a corridor that led down an unused level of the dungeons which had been banned entry from students where there had been murmurings that a hidden entryway was hidden on the other side. Rumors, of course. And despite the lack of credibility Landon gave to his fellow peers, he decided to take a wager at its validity anyway. The journey there had been met with little trouble now that the Prefects and most staff had left for summer vacation. And he was grateful of that, having survived his whole first year without losing house points or getting detention for disobedience.
Armed with only his wand held in front of him, its tip illuminated by the Lumos spell he had cast when he was sure that the soft light wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention, and with a small pouch tied at his waist that held a number of potions he had mastered throughout the year, he ventured deeper and deeper into the dark corridor until he met a stonewall that barred his progression. The dead end didn’t dishearten Landon, already anticipating that there had to be more to what laid before him. He ran his fingers along the cold surface, moving from right to left, until his fingers felt a soft draft toward the bottom corner of the wall.
Bringing the wand closer to it, he hesitantly pushed against a protruding stone and a grating sound filled his ears. A small crawl space revealed itself and when Landon crouched down to peer into the dark abyss, he questioned his ambition. He wondered if the small arsenal of spells he had mastered would truly prepare him for any trouble he might of faced or worse – if he would to get caught by someone – what dire consequence would he be in store for?
But just as soon as the doubt came, it was swept away by the pure adrenaline of discovering something unknown and curiosity pushed Landon to crawl through the small space. There was no light at the other side of the crawlspace, only more darkness. It took some minutes and maneuvering for Landon to finally make it through and when he did, he instinctively brushed off any dust that may have coated his knees and elbows, despite not being able to properly see any.
Taking a step forward, his wand rose before him again, he gave one last look behind him but couldn’t seem to place where the crawlspace had been. He wasn’t sure if the darkness had made it impossible to see against the dark wall or if the entryway had sealed itself again. Either way, he sucked in a deep breath and exhaled loudly before making his way deeper into the unknown dungeon. His wand did as much as it could to light the way before him but the soft glow only seemed to break through the immediate darkness before him.
Landon had felt like it had been almost an hour while he walked endlessly ahead. He had a sudden feeling that his body was leaning forward, almost as though he was walking down a hill as opposed to straight across but given the darkness, it was hard for him to see how the floor was structured before him. At times he would trip upon what he assumed to be fallen debris, slabs of rock littering his path. It wasn’t until he nearly walked right into a rusted gateway that he paused.
Using his free left hand, he touched against the metal, its coldness seeping into his index and middle finger. He had an eerie feeling that he had seen the metal archway before, almost as though it was a dream or deja-vu. Either way, he slipped through and walked into an open room, its décor and ambiance completely devoid of any light or color.
Save for an angelic statue that stood stoic to Landon’s right as he exited the tunnel he came from and walked deeper into the room. He brought his wand closer to examine its features and nearly jumped back at the expression of pure terror that ravaged her granite face. Despite her glowing gown, Landon felt no peace or tranquility upon examining her. When he leaned in for a better look at the rips that had been to artfully depicted upon her, a sudden noise from behind the young Slytherin brought him swirling around to face the other side of the large room, his wand at the ready – despite being used for the only light source against the prevailing darkness around him.
“Wh- who’s there?” Despite the courage that brought Landon here in the first place, there was genuine shock … or fear that trickled through his words.
Toward the completion of his first year at Hogwarts, he would randomly be awoken in the middle of the night by a sudden shake of his beds which he had always assumed were his dorm mates playing yet another trick on him. It wasn’t until Landon had heard of the rumors of a long deceased wizard who roamed the dungeons below the Slytherin dorms that he finally had the nerve to awaken one night while his fellow peers slumbered away.
It had been the closing of the year and with classes finally over, many students were taking advantage of not needing to stay up late to study or … procrastinate. Landon had crept out of his bed, fully robed in his Slytherin greens and decided to venture toward a corridor that led down an unused level of the dungeons which had been banned entry from students where there had been murmurings that a hidden entryway was hidden on the other side. Rumors, of course. And despite the lack of credibility Landon gave to his fellow peers, he decided to take a wager at its validity anyway. The journey there had been met with little trouble now that the Prefects and most staff had left for summer vacation. And he was grateful of that, having survived his whole first year without losing house points or getting detention for disobedience.
Armed with only his wand held in front of him, its tip illuminated by the Lumos spell he had cast when he was sure that the soft light wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention, and with a small pouch tied at his waist that held a number of potions he had mastered throughout the year, he ventured deeper and deeper into the dark corridor until he met a stonewall that barred his progression. The dead end didn’t dishearten Landon, already anticipating that there had to be more to what laid before him. He ran his fingers along the cold surface, moving from right to left, until his fingers felt a soft draft toward the bottom corner of the wall.
Bringing the wand closer to it, he hesitantly pushed against a protruding stone and a grating sound filled his ears. A small crawl space revealed itself and when Landon crouched down to peer into the dark abyss, he questioned his ambition. He wondered if the small arsenal of spells he had mastered would truly prepare him for any trouble he might of faced or worse – if he would to get caught by someone – what dire consequence would he be in store for?
But just as soon as the doubt came, it was swept away by the pure adrenaline of discovering something unknown and curiosity pushed Landon to crawl through the small space. There was no light at the other side of the crawlspace, only more darkness. It took some minutes and maneuvering for Landon to finally make it through and when he did, he instinctively brushed off any dust that may have coated his knees and elbows, despite not being able to properly see any.
Taking a step forward, his wand rose before him again, he gave one last look behind him but couldn’t seem to place where the crawlspace had been. He wasn’t sure if the darkness had made it impossible to see against the dark wall or if the entryway had sealed itself again. Either way, he sucked in a deep breath and exhaled loudly before making his way deeper into the unknown dungeon. His wand did as much as it could to light the way before him but the soft glow only seemed to break through the immediate darkness before him.
Landon had felt like it had been almost an hour while he walked endlessly ahead. He had a sudden feeling that his body was leaning forward, almost as though he was walking down a hill as opposed to straight across but given the darkness, it was hard for him to see how the floor was structured before him. At times he would trip upon what he assumed to be fallen debris, slabs of rock littering his path. It wasn’t until he nearly walked right into a rusted gateway that he paused.
Using his free left hand, he touched against the metal, its coldness seeping into his index and middle finger. He had an eerie feeling that he had seen the metal archway before, almost as though it was a dream or deja-vu. Either way, he slipped through and walked into an open room, its décor and ambiance completely devoid of any light or color.
Save for an angelic statue that stood stoic to Landon’s right as he exited the tunnel he came from and walked deeper into the room. He brought his wand closer to examine its features and nearly jumped back at the expression of pure terror that ravaged her granite face. Despite her glowing gown, Landon felt no peace or tranquility upon examining her. When he leaned in for a better look at the rips that had been to artfully depicted upon her, a sudden noise from behind the young Slytherin brought him swirling around to face the other side of the large room, his wand at the ready – despite being used for the only light source against the prevailing darkness around him.
“Wh- who’s there?” Despite the courage that brought Landon here in the first place, there was genuine shock … or fear that trickled through his words.
Reducio
@Angellica Rowley & @Marla Quinlan
A Seer and a Perfectionist
Stamina 7 | Evasion 4 | Strength 1 | Wisdom 6 | Arcane 9 | Accuracy 8
Angellica Rowley
9 Jul 2019, 22:51
Adventure of the Mad Mage
An entire year at Hogwarts Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Angellica had gotten to know her way around fairly well. Between Quidditch, and a filled year of overachieving in class, there hadn't been much time left to truly explore. Not the way she was doing in that moment. She had read about Hogwarts, looked through the pages of Hogwarts: A History, more time than she could count. There were so many secrets, and so much to be learned. The Chamber of Secrets had been opened a few decades past, the Cursed Vaults explored before then, and still there was much of the Castle to be uncovered, much of history to be brought into the light of day.
Although not brave by any means, Angellica's thirst for knowledge and advancement had always pushed her to be a bit more rash. A combination of youth, a lacking sense of mortality, topped with an insatiable curiosity. She had read about secrets in the basement of the castle. Although she had hoped some mad wizard had dug a cavern for a warm spring, or some type of pool to be enjoyed by all, but if history had anything to say, it was that it probably was anything but. No, it probably had chains, some devilish monsters, and more discomforts than was worth.
Despite her heavy reservations to place herself in harm's way, it seemed her first year at Hogwarts was filled with hazards from becoming what she could only imagine to be the most young and frail beater in history to every party and activity the school had seeming to end in tragedy and chaos to say the least. so far she had survived, which had given her a little bravery if one could call it that. Either way, she had never been opposed to use another as a human shield if need be, survival being among her most basic instincts. Though she had only wanted to glimpse the entrance of this hall she had found in her castle deambulations, what would come was something she hadn't quite expected. With little friends to speak of aside a few she had come to cross in class, or at meal times, she had no one to actually bring with her on her adventures so to speak.
Night had befallen the castle. Restless from all the final exams and essays, she had stretched her legs, enjoying the sight of silver lunar rays dancing on the ground through mullioned windows that adorned many of the school's rooms and halls. It was beautiful, and though she had been down them countless times building the courage to make her way down to where she had believed to be the infamous way to the Mad Mages tunnels.
This would be no ordinary stroll however. Fate would have it that a professor or some form of authority - Angellica didn't stay close to find out - had been patrolling in that moment, and she did the only thing she could think and darted for the place she felt she would never be followed. Behind a tapestry, down a halls, and deep into the castle where no light of the sun ever shone. The creasing of shiny knights armor couldn't be heard as they adjusted their stances. There was no pitter patter of various pets down here, nor would there be any students in their right mind.
At least that had been her thoughts until she heard something, and then a voice was heard and Angellica's heart was hammering until she processed that the voice was perhaps as cautious as she felt. Rather than answer she found herself standing still. Despite her desire not to find out what was out there - for all she knew it was the spirit of a student seeking revenge, not that ghosts could actually harm you. Going against her better judgment, she pulled out her wand and held it above.
"Lumos," she murmured, a soft glow escaping the tip of her wand to light a few feet ahead of her. "Who's there?" she asked though her voice was soft and barely carried, a sharp breath taken in as she noted the demon statue ahead of her not twenty feet away. She felt shaken for a moment. She had expected many from a statue of a demon, but there it was in fear. Life had never fully been black and white for the blonde, but in that moment, she was getting a grasp of that concept, something she couldn't quite quantify or state in words, but nonetheless an image that would stick with her for decades to come - should she survive the encounter. Though she liked to think herself beyond smart, she wondered who had managed to also found this place, but more so why they would actually try to do so alone - forgetting she herself had done so, though she would argue she had had an excuse to.
12 Jul 2019, 22:11
Adventure of the Mad Mage
[quote]Hogwarts. Truly a castle of equally terrifying and brilliant wonders. Between rumors of a room that would unveil whatever one desired and a forest with every last horror imaginable... It's no surprise that some are wary of the estate. However, a small Gryffindor with fire for a brain disagreed. Probably because she closed Hogwarts: A History five minutes into reading it because of her anger for the lack of comic books at her new school. Although she never said it out loud to anyone, her inflated head was convinced that tales of the Chamber of Secrets, hidden passageways... Were bogus. Not that she didn't want to believe in them, but if she wasn't persuaded otherwise, it would drive her to insanity.
And driven to the brink she was, for, on this very day, the lingering thought of these tales had finally consumed the girl. How could they not? For months they had called, beckoned in her mind, keeping the freckled student on her feet, ever so tempted. Which is why someway, somehow, she was in the middle of the corridors, nearly blind as for her vision was enveloped in the velvet of night.
Regrets seeping deeper into her stomach as she crept down the hall, she gripped her carved ash in her pocket tightly. While sneaking out in the late hours of the day was honestly quite routinely for her, Marla had learned that there were dangerous, dangerous things lurking and living in the school. Between the (not one, but two) Blossomfest fires, both graduation party disasters, being punched in the face by someone who she later found out was a werewolf? The year was truly one to be reckoned with.
All these events jumbled in her head left the poor Gryffindor terrified and small in an otherwise grand corridor. Normally spunky and energetic paintings that chattered throughout were now snoring, creating a low hum that almost sounded like a growling beast. Although some may laugh, because who would find an enchanted drawing scary? When there are hundreds of them in one room simultaneously groaning, you'd think otherwise. Not that they could hurt even the smallest of flies, but this along with the mystery of the dark, every inch of the atmosphere was eerie.
While you may be wondering: what in the world was her motive behind this? Oh, Marla had no idea. In fact, she was wondering the same thing. Though there was one thing she was sure of. One place where plenty of mischief and mysterious places happened? The basements. And so, that's where she made her way to as sneakily as possible. It was truly a blessing that she had the ability to change appearances, for her signature fiery red mess that sat atop her head would surely draw attention. Which was why it was a matte black, for nothing would blend in better. Being 4'4, although slightly humiliating, did great things for her stealth-wise. Maneuvering through small spaces and being able to hide behind the tiniest of things came in handy, no matter how many times people made fun of her. Ha! They could only dream about being as stealthy as Marla Quinlan. All those weird tall people couldn't compare.
Oh, and finally! She had made her way to the staircase with all of her limbs intact. Thank god she knew her way in the dark, getting lost in Hogwarts was terrifying. It was like a really pretty maze of stones and...Frankly very annoying paintings. And speaking of those evil things, the ghostly hum began to fade away as she made her way deeper and deeper into the staircase. Replacing it was the echo of her own nearly silent footsteps and the dripping of who knows what onto the stone floors. Hopefully, Professor Price wasn't a night owl, it would be a shame to get caught after all this way.
Soon enough she had made her way into the dungeons, not a single torch in sight. It would be convenient to cast Lumos, however, it was much too risky. Someone could find her. Opting to go the safe route, she depended on touching the smooth walls, deciding to ignore the occasional wet spots. They were disgusting, but it would be better not to think about it. Maybe it was just really, really clean water! And not blood or any other creepy bodily fluids. Right? It was just the basements. Somewhere she went every day. She hadn't noticed anything suspicious on the walls, why would there be any now?
But at this point, it felt like days. Days that she had been walking, inhaling the heavy stench of mold and dew. At least until she heard the faint echo of voices. The color drained from her face, her heart skipping a beat. That wasn't any professors voice. In fact, it sounded younger. Who the hell was that? Questioning if she valued curiosity or her life, Marla made her legs move even though it felt like there was a metal ball attached. She had to see who was there now.
Peeking through a hallway, the first thing Marla noticed was a familiar faint yellow light. The Lumos spell. Looking up, in front of her was a pale face illuminated by the wand. Letting out a startled gasp, she took out her own wand. "Lumos." She murmured, trying to hide the panicked shaking in her attempted firm voice. The wand obliged, giving the Gryffindor a better view of her surroundings. "Who– who are you?" Asked the girl, who began to stand up straight to seem more intimidating. Though it probably wasn't working, considering her short stature, it was worth a shot.
But when Marla looked at her surroundings, everything got much, much more bizarre. There was a statue, with wings that spread elegantly across its back. Everything about it looked angelic and beautiful, except for the face. Eyes dripping with sheer terror, the once gorgeous dress draped on her shoulders now tore and worn. She could look at it for hours, and probably would have, but noticed a bit of movement near the statue. Pointing her wand frantically, another person was revealed with the light. Startled once more, an audible yelp escaped from her lips. Was this a goddamn birthday party or something? Didn't students have better things to do than explore musty basements? Okay, well she didn't have room to talk. She was doing the same thing. But still! This was creepy.
"Who are you?" Marla repeated, devoid of any other words in her brain.
And driven to the brink she was, for, on this very day, the lingering thought of these tales had finally consumed the girl. How could they not? For months they had called, beckoned in her mind, keeping the freckled student on her feet, ever so tempted. Which is why someway, somehow, she was in the middle of the corridors, nearly blind as for her vision was enveloped in the velvet of night.
Regrets seeping deeper into her stomach as she crept down the hall, she gripped her carved ash in her pocket tightly. While sneaking out in the late hours of the day was honestly quite routinely for her, Marla had learned that there were dangerous, dangerous things lurking and living in the school. Between the (not one, but two) Blossomfest fires, both graduation party disasters, being punched in the face by someone who she later found out was a werewolf? The year was truly one to be reckoned with.
All these events jumbled in her head left the poor Gryffindor terrified and small in an otherwise grand corridor. Normally spunky and energetic paintings that chattered throughout were now snoring, creating a low hum that almost sounded like a growling beast. Although some may laugh, because who would find an enchanted drawing scary? When there are hundreds of them in one room simultaneously groaning, you'd think otherwise. Not that they could hurt even the smallest of flies, but this along with the mystery of the dark, every inch of the atmosphere was eerie.
While you may be wondering: what in the world was her motive behind this? Oh, Marla had no idea. In fact, she was wondering the same thing. Though there was one thing she was sure of. One place where plenty of mischief and mysterious places happened? The basements. And so, that's where she made her way to as sneakily as possible. It was truly a blessing that she had the ability to change appearances, for her signature fiery red mess that sat atop her head would surely draw attention. Which was why it was a matte black, for nothing would blend in better. Being 4'4, although slightly humiliating, did great things for her stealth-wise. Maneuvering through small spaces and being able to hide behind the tiniest of things came in handy, no matter how many times people made fun of her. Ha! They could only dream about being as stealthy as Marla Quinlan. All those weird tall people couldn't compare.
Oh, and finally! She had made her way to the staircase with all of her limbs intact. Thank god she knew her way in the dark, getting lost in Hogwarts was terrifying. It was like a really pretty maze of stones and...Frankly very annoying paintings. And speaking of those evil things, the ghostly hum began to fade away as she made her way deeper and deeper into the staircase. Replacing it was the echo of her own nearly silent footsteps and the dripping of who knows what onto the stone floors. Hopefully, Professor Price wasn't a night owl, it would be a shame to get caught after all this way.
Soon enough she had made her way into the dungeons, not a single torch in sight. It would be convenient to cast Lumos, however, it was much too risky. Someone could find her. Opting to go the safe route, she depended on touching the smooth walls, deciding to ignore the occasional wet spots. They were disgusting, but it would be better not to think about it. Maybe it was just really, really clean water! And not blood or any other creepy bodily fluids. Right? It was just the basements. Somewhere she went every day. She hadn't noticed anything suspicious on the walls, why would there be any now?
But at this point, it felt like days. Days that she had been walking, inhaling the heavy stench of mold and dew. At least until she heard the faint echo of voices. The color drained from her face, her heart skipping a beat. That wasn't any professors voice. In fact, it sounded younger. Who the hell was that? Questioning if she valued curiosity or her life, Marla made her legs move even though it felt like there was a metal ball attached. She had to see who was there now.
Peeking through a hallway, the first thing Marla noticed was a familiar faint yellow light. The Lumos spell. Looking up, in front of her was a pale face illuminated by the wand. Letting out a startled gasp, she took out her own wand. "Lumos." She murmured, trying to hide the panicked shaking in her attempted firm voice. The wand obliged, giving the Gryffindor a better view of her surroundings. "Who– who are you?" Asked the girl, who began to stand up straight to seem more intimidating. Though it probably wasn't working, considering her short stature, it was worth a shot.
But when Marla looked at her surroundings, everything got much, much more bizarre. There was a statue, with wings that spread elegantly across its back. Everything about it looked angelic and beautiful, except for the face. Eyes dripping with sheer terror, the once gorgeous dress draped on her shoulders now tore and worn. She could look at it for hours, and probably would have, but noticed a bit of movement near the statue. Pointing her wand frantically, another person was revealed with the light. Startled once more, an audible yelp escaped from her lips. Was this a goddamn birthday party or something? Didn't students have better things to do than explore musty basements? Okay, well she didn't have room to talk. She was doing the same thing. But still! This was creepy.
"Who are you?" Marla repeated, devoid of any other words in her brain.
"your loss, baby !!"
stamina 10 | evasion 7 | strength 6 | wisdom 7 | arcpower 6 | accuracy 9
stamina 10 | evasion 7 | strength 6 | wisdom 7 | arcpower 6 | accuracy 9
13 Jul 2019, 01:22
Adventure of the Mad Mage
At first, Landon thought there was an echo in the large chamber until he saw two light sources making their way closer to him. The soft light’s glow swayed its way closer to him until he was able to make out that it was the tip of two wands, their bearers’ female students. There was a sense of relief at first, the eeriness of the ambiance already testing his courage. Then he was struck with another fear. What if they were Prefects and he just stumbled his way into some real trouble?
When he walked closer to them, meeting the two girls at the center of the room, he instantly recognized them from some of the classes he took this past year. The fear of getting caught roaming around outside of curfew seeped away as he realized he wasn’t the only one who stumbled their way into the darkest corners of the castle. And from the slight tinge of fear in one of their voices, he was also glad he wasn’t the only one that had a quiver of wary.
Of the two girls, he noticed the blonde first. He recalled that she was a Ravenclaw and aside from nearly besting him in every class, he had also heard her other Ravenclaw classmates congratulating her on helping their house make it to second place at the conclusion of the school year. He tried to rake his brain, her name suddenly escaping him. Wasn’t she on the Quidditch team too? Though he didn’t follow much of the sport. Preferring instead to focus on his academics. “… Amanda?” He was almost positive that wasn’t her name and he instantly regretted even trying. He was thankful that it was dark enough that the redness of his cheeks wouldn’t show.
When the second girl came closer, Landon lowered his wand slightly. The glow of it made his face look ghastly – almost haunted. She had nearly ran into him, and he jumped back to avoid the collision. When she pulled herself up, he gave her a weak smile before answering, “I’m … Landon.” The other student’s name was at the tip of his tongue but he had learned his mistake moments before and he didn’t dare guess it.
Landon pointed behind him, the two statues looming over the three of them some feet away. “For a second there, I thought the statues were the ones calling out.” And forgetting his manners, he added, “Sorry, I didn’t get your name?” Speaking to the girl who had fallen seconds before.
He studied them again and a thought struck him. “Wait, what are you two doing here?” Landon wasn’t even sure why there was an accusatory tone in his voice but it struck him as odd and coincidental that the three of them had seemingly found one another one this given night. “Were you following me?”
A Seer and a Perfectionist
Stamina 7 | Evasion 4 | Strength 1 | Wisdom 6 | Arcane 9 | Accuracy 8
Angellica Rowley
16 Jul 2019, 04:23
Adventure of the Mad Mage
Not in a million years would Angellica admit that she was the adventurous type. Although Hogwarts held more fascination than fear, facts were something she could deal with. They were cold, hard, detached. When she walked the halls of the magical school, her copy of Hogwarts A History in hand, comparing sites and paintings against written and verified information. Beyond speculation, there were no chapters in the book she felt would ever assist her in such a situation as the one she found herself in. Despite it, her hand reached into her bag and, fingers finding the bumpy spine of the tome and giving it a stroke the way one might have pet along the back of a cat or owl. It was comforting despite it giving no reaction. The stillness of written records were the most soothing presence for the young blonde.
When the young boy she encountered spoke, she blinked at the recognition and yet lack thereof. Granted, Angellica had never been the most verbose, at least not in words, rather than homework. She could write parchments of the exceptions to Gamp's law of elemental transfiguration, but people, people were too unpredictable. They were hard to gage, it wasn't easy to create her own scenarios she could follow through. They weren't as precise as a potion, which had steps, or the dance that could be using wand motions and proper pronunciation.
"Angellica," she corrected, though there was no bite to her name. Not as it might have had above ground in the halls. Here she was tame, quiet, perhaps even skittishly seeming in nature.
As a third appeared to their numbers, she noted the boy called himself Landon, and she committed it with the use of a mnemonic. Landon...Land. On. Simple enough as she had landed upon him so to speak. She had hoped the other girl had caught her name, but seeing as she asked twice she found herself speaking again.
"I'm Angellica," she introduced formally. "Just think of the Angel," she pointed to the statue, though she wasn't quite sure that was a good way to help them remember. Honestly, she wasn't sure she wanted to be remembered, though the dungeon they found themselves in truly created a fear to be forgotten. "Angellica Rowley." Fear had prompted the precision. "I'm in Ravenclaw, you might have seen me play quidditch," she continued. It wasn't so much to brag as much as a need to establish herself, to give them something to tie her with.
"And you?" she asked the Gryffindor that had asked them both who they were. Of course she couldn't linger too long when the accusation that they had followed the boy in was spoken.
The blonde tilted her head and perked her brow. "I knew about this place," she said flatly. "I read about it in a book. And then things happened and well, here I am." There was no need to get into why she was down there, but as a perveyor of knowledge, she found herself needing to establish that she did indeed know of this underground location though she had not exactly found proof until right in that moment.
Reducio@SolomonLear
an angel and a demon. The demon would stand alone to one side in an alcove with his shoulders squared and a smug look carved into his face. The demon would stand to the other side, her delicate features contorted into an expression of fear and her glowing gown ripped and torn, the artist depicted a moment of abject terror and carved that very expression onto her face.
Is the angel smug or the demon?
16 Jul 2019, 16:31
Adventure of the Mad Mage
OC: Sorry for the delay in my post, Marla posted as I entered my shiftwork in the hospital.
A: Demon is smug, the angel is terrified.
It was dangerous to go alone, so here -- take some allies.
@Landon Storm was the first to arrive in this strange, disconcerting place. There was something strange about these statues and this open, dark space choked with cobwebs. Demons often display their toothy maws and their visage twisted into something terrible and dangerous but this expression seemed to suggest a smug supremacy, as if the statue knew something that these adventurers did not. The angel, she looked terrified, battered and worn. An expression of desperation or perhaps pain was etched on her once lovely countenance.
Was this some sort of warning? Of course it was.
Landon would hear a noise, perhaps sense a presence and he would call out. His voice would beckon a pair of lights to illuminate down a pair of tunnels. He was not alone. Thankfully, the lights did not belong to monsters but rather girls. Maybe Landon was just incredibly lucky, drawing a pair of girls to this very remote location beneath the castle. Well, he might fantasize that notion in a few years.
As they entered the open space and shed their own light onto this strange chamber they too would see the details of these disquieting figures in an otherwise plain room. The floor would rumble as @Angellica Rowley entered the open space. It was this grinding noise accompanied by a trio of clicks.
*Click* | *Click* | *Click*
The expression and pose of the statues seemed to change, although the movement itself was left unseen. The hands of the angel higher, as if her hands were rising to cover her face. The demon's grin seemed a bit wider, the left foot now slightly before the right. The demon's previous pose was perfectly squared before.
It had to be their imagination. Statues do not move.
A second girl would arrive, about the same age as Landon and Angellica. The floor would groan again, a trio of clicks in response to the newcomer's presence as she introduced herself demanded that the others identify themselves. @Marla Quinlan was supposed to be the red shirt, but she was bucking tradition for the moment.
This was where things would of course only start to go wrong. The floor was quivering over foot, as if the ground was frightened for them. Something was wrong, that much was obvious. Little did they know, the depredations of a diabolical unknown figure had lured a great evil as well as a handful of hapless youths (them) to this location and disaster was about to befall the trio.
Thankfully the word Mad was relevant to the description.
The floor would would shift, depressing in the very center of the room, rocking the trio. The scent of limes would fill the air with their strong aroma. The floor would break away, as if they were standing upon a door. The great stony floor would swing inward, crashing against the unseen and dark walls.
Their backsides would hit something slick and wet, a gooey-wet. The scent of limes overpowering as they slid down the mucilaginous surface at a rapid speed. A dark slide into the depths below the castle that went about two-hundred feet (60 meters) or so. They would land in a dark room.
Thankfully the word Mad was relevant to the description.
The floor would would shift, depressing in the very center of the room, rocking the trio. The scent of limes would fill the air with their strong aroma. The floor would break away, as if they were standing upon a door. The great stony floor would swing inward, crashing against the unseen and dark walls.
And they would fall. Well, the girls would fall, Landon would grab onto the ledge, his fingers gripping the hard stone. He would attempt to pull himself up, the walls were slick and he would have a difficult time pulling himself up.Attempt to avoid fall
Angelica 10
Landon 19
Marla 11
It was an exertion of strength that the boy with arms produced by Ramen would not immediately muster. He would try to pull himself up but he would lose his grip and he would fall just like the girls.Landon attempts to pull himself up (strength)
Roll: 10
Their backsides would hit something slick and wet, a gooey-wet. The scent of limes overpowering as they slid down the mucilaginous surface at a rapid speed. A dark slide into the depths below the castle that went about two-hundred feet (60 meters) or so. They would land in a dark room.
Attempt to hold onto the wand.
Roll: 5, 6, 7
None of them would hold onto their wands. They would emerge the slide into the darkness, landing in a pool filled with a strange gelatinous material. Landon would be the last to arrive, nearly saving himself only to later fail.
The girls would somehow avoid impact with the young Slytherin. Their wands would tumble in after, standing askew in the strange glutinous material that smelled like limes.Does Landon Land on one of the girls?
Yes - 1 | No - 2
Roll: 2
The muggle-born would immediately identify what this substance was. Lime JELLO.Wisdom Check to know what they are sitting/laying in.
Angelica 13
Landon 20 (critical)
Marla 1
The lighting was dim, the Jello was shading the light from the tip of the wands. It was strange looking at these walls, they were stained a honey-hue from the copious amount of JELLO in the room and there was writing on the walls.
On the first wall written with a rough script in thick brown paint:
Reality 1
On the second wall, written in the same rough script in the same thick brown paint.
Reality 2
On the third wall, written in the same rough script in the same thick brown paint.
Reality 3
On the fourth wall, written in the same rough script in the same thick brown paint.
Reality 4
On the floor there was writing as well, but it would be too hard to read but it appeared to be a question because there was a giant question-mark that could be identified.
There was also the path from which they came, two-hundred feet of slimy stone that would bring them back to a place of familiarity. Perhaps they could scale the stony passageway without rope or a safety-net. It would be dangerous, likely wrought with failure.
This is your first puzzle. Good luck with that.
There is something about ambition, how it not only propels you but also defines you.
18 Jul 2019, 05:40
Adventure of the Mad Mage
[quote]As nervous golden eyes darted from the girl and boy, a pit fell in her stomach as it hit her that she didn't know either. That could be a good thing, however. By now, even if she hadn't encountered them officially, Marla could recognize most prefects, so if she were breaking the rules she'd know who to stay cautious around. Neither faces rang a bell, so maybe she could just... Y'know.. Head home without any casualties? No detentions? That would be ideal. Especially because it seemed the boy was feeling the same way, as a similar glint of fear was evident in his eyes. Whether they were thinking the same thing or not wasn't relevant, it just put her at ease that she wasn't the only one with the lingering worry of misgiving.
The dark-haired boy approached the two girls, causing Marla to flinch, expecting him to do something. Instead, his eyes drifted onto the blonde girl, staring at her for just a smidge too long. Soon after he murmured a name. Amanda. Was that her name? Marla was sure that she had seen her somewhere, she was just not sure where. It was as if there was a heavy weight lodged in her brain preventing her from thinking.. Well... Anything, really. It was as if all her mind could do was remind her with constant internal screams that something was wrong here. But it was just her imagination, right? The situation only seemed creepy because they were underground at night.
The soft voice of the other girl echoing against the walls drew Marla's attention away from her thoughts. Looking up, she had introduced herself as Angellica. Who played quidditch. Thaats where she knew her from! Her shoulders felt lighter now that she knew that she wasn't hallucinating about seeing the girl before, and looked to the boy, who had introduced himself as Landon, asking the redheads name. "I'm Marla." She smiled at the two with a false display of cheerfulness, because fake it 'till you make it, right? It was hard not to be upset though. Not only was she stuck in the depths of who knows where in a dangerous magic castle, but with strangers? Marla hated social interaction enough, but with people she wasn't comfortable with it was just that much worse.
And while she was growing slightly more content to be around others instead of being completely isolated, that quickly faded away as Landon had asked accusingly if she had followed him. She narrowed and rolled her eyes subtly in a vexed manner. While he seemed like an alright person, not everything was about the boy. God, she didn't even know he existed until two seconds ago! "I just got bored. And no, I wasn't following you. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be up at this time of night, honestly." She responded with a nonchalant shrug, glancing around the room once more. It began to seep into her brain how creepy this place was. Why did it exist, anyway? A completely barren and seemingly abandoned, grimy room, with simply two opposite statues standing on either side. There wasn't much... Use to it, to be frank. She assumed it was there for cosmetic purposes, but it wasn't the prettiest of rooms. Then again, Hogwarts was thousands of years old. It could have been more elegant waaay back when.
Marla opened her mouth to say something else, though she wasn't sure of what would come out of her mouth... Anything to bring the awkward silence to a halt. Though she was rudely interrupted when she began to wobble. No, wait. It wasn't her. The floor was– was shaking? An earthquake? Panic filled her eyes as she shut them tight. Tremors didn't happen in Scotland! And if it was one? They were in the basement, this was a death sentence! Before she knew it, the floor was slowly disappearing, a scent of citrus faintly tingling her nose. But it was hard to focus on such an unusual aroma for a dungeon when she was falling through the air, for god's sake! Marla held her breath, shutting her eyes tight as if she were about to cannonball off a diving board. She was going to die. All because she couldn't hold back the call of adventure for one more damn night.
And right before she thought she was going to make impact on the ground, splattered everywhere (gross), she dropped into a... Slime? Wait. She wasn't dead! Marla opened her mouth, gasping for air and immediately noticing the now much, much stronger smell of citrus. What was it, lemons? No.. A sweetish smell that grew sour in her nose as she exhaled. "Are you okay?!" She asked, hearing two more plops into the gelatin-like substance. In front of her was Angellica, or so she assumed. Mostly because of the silhouette of beautiful long hair, though she was crossing fingers, hoping it wasn't something or someone else. To make sure, Marla made for her wand, realizing it wasn't there. She whimpered, patting around the rest of her clothes. Every last trace of pigment in her pale skin left her face as she stood up, petrified and dumbfounded. "M-my wand.."
In a panic, she dug around in the mysterious goo for her poor, poor wand to no avail. She silently cursed to herself. As if this couldn't get any worse! Now not only was she stuck with two questionable students, an aching body, and she was wandless. I'll say it again. Wand. Less. Death was practically laughing in her face at this point... A chill went down her spine, it was surprisingly cold when you're covered in a citrus-y and probably poisonous goo in a basement. "Do any of you have a wand?" She asked desperately. Maybe if someone had a wand, they could scourgify this dump.. Or just simply cast Lumos. It was terribly dark, if someone actually had their wand, maybe she would be able to see something and find her own? At this point however, she wasn't concerned with finding her glorified sparkly stick as much as she was with getting out of this alive, if that was even possible. She plopped back down in the goo, squinting her eyes to try to assess the room. It wasn't exactly working, but she needed to do something, anything to at least attempt to think of something to get out of this place. Anything.
The dark-haired boy approached the two girls, causing Marla to flinch, expecting him to do something. Instead, his eyes drifted onto the blonde girl, staring at her for just a smidge too long. Soon after he murmured a name. Amanda. Was that her name? Marla was sure that she had seen her somewhere, she was just not sure where. It was as if there was a heavy weight lodged in her brain preventing her from thinking.. Well... Anything, really. It was as if all her mind could do was remind her with constant internal screams that something was wrong here. But it was just her imagination, right? The situation only seemed creepy because they were underground at night.
The soft voice of the other girl echoing against the walls drew Marla's attention away from her thoughts. Looking up, she had introduced herself as Angellica. Who played quidditch. Thaats where she knew her from! Her shoulders felt lighter now that she knew that she wasn't hallucinating about seeing the girl before, and looked to the boy, who had introduced himself as Landon, asking the redheads name. "I'm Marla." She smiled at the two with a false display of cheerfulness, because fake it 'till you make it, right? It was hard not to be upset though. Not only was she stuck in the depths of who knows where in a dangerous magic castle, but with strangers? Marla hated social interaction enough, but with people she wasn't comfortable with it was just that much worse.
And while she was growing slightly more content to be around others instead of being completely isolated, that quickly faded away as Landon had asked accusingly if she had followed him. She narrowed and rolled her eyes subtly in a vexed manner. While he seemed like an alright person, not everything was about the boy. God, she didn't even know he existed until two seconds ago! "I just got bored. And no, I wasn't following you. I wasn't expecting anyone else to be up at this time of night, honestly." She responded with a nonchalant shrug, glancing around the room once more. It began to seep into her brain how creepy this place was. Why did it exist, anyway? A completely barren and seemingly abandoned, grimy room, with simply two opposite statues standing on either side. There wasn't much... Use to it, to be frank. She assumed it was there for cosmetic purposes, but it wasn't the prettiest of rooms. Then again, Hogwarts was thousands of years old. It could have been more elegant waaay back when.
Marla opened her mouth to say something else, though she wasn't sure of what would come out of her mouth... Anything to bring the awkward silence to a halt. Though she was rudely interrupted when she began to wobble. No, wait. It wasn't her. The floor was– was shaking? An earthquake? Panic filled her eyes as she shut them tight. Tremors didn't happen in Scotland! And if it was one? They were in the basement, this was a death sentence! Before she knew it, the floor was slowly disappearing, a scent of citrus faintly tingling her nose. But it was hard to focus on such an unusual aroma for a dungeon when she was falling through the air, for god's sake! Marla held her breath, shutting her eyes tight as if she were about to cannonball off a diving board. She was going to die. All because she couldn't hold back the call of adventure for one more damn night.
And right before she thought she was going to make impact on the ground, splattered everywhere (gross), she dropped into a... Slime? Wait. She wasn't dead! Marla opened her mouth, gasping for air and immediately noticing the now much, much stronger smell of citrus. What was it, lemons? No.. A sweetish smell that grew sour in her nose as she exhaled. "Are you okay?!" She asked, hearing two more plops into the gelatin-like substance. In front of her was Angellica, or so she assumed. Mostly because of the silhouette of beautiful long hair, though she was crossing fingers, hoping it wasn't something or someone else. To make sure, Marla made for her wand, realizing it wasn't there. She whimpered, patting around the rest of her clothes. Every last trace of pigment in her pale skin left her face as she stood up, petrified and dumbfounded. "M-my wand.."
In a panic, she dug around in the mysterious goo for her poor, poor wand to no avail. She silently cursed to herself. As if this couldn't get any worse! Now not only was she stuck with two questionable students, an aching body, and she was wandless. I'll say it again. Wand. Less. Death was practically laughing in her face at this point... A chill went down her spine, it was surprisingly cold when you're covered in a citrus-y and probably poisonous goo in a basement. "Do any of you have a wand?" She asked desperately. Maybe if someone had a wand, they could scourgify this dump.. Or just simply cast Lumos. It was terribly dark, if someone actually had their wand, maybe she would be able to see something and find her own? At this point however, she wasn't concerned with finding her glorified sparkly stick as much as she was with getting out of this alive, if that was even possible. She plopped back down in the goo, squinting her eyes to try to assess the room. It wasn't exactly working, but she needed to do something, anything to at least attempt to think of something to get out of this place. Anything.
"your loss, baby !!"
stamina 10 | evasion 7 | strength 6 | wisdom 7 | arcpower 6 | accuracy 9
stamina 10 | evasion 7 | strength 6 | wisdom 7 | arcpower 6 | accuracy 9
19 Jul 2019, 01:15
Adventure of the Mad Mage
Landon was not one that easily trusted people. These two girls, despite being fellow first years, were still strangers to him and he eyed them as such despite their reasoning behind how they happened to arrive at their current location. Angellica, the Ravenclaw, and Marla seemed like genuine enough people – but if Landon had learned anything at Hogwarts – he remembered just how deceiving anything can be in the world of magic.
And yet, he let out a heavy sigh. There was no point in distrusting them. If they meant him any harm – he would have been hurt and if they meant him any trouble – there would be a Professor or Prefect at their heels. It seemed for the most part- curiosity and just dumb luck had brought them all together. “Fine. If you say ---“
And then the very floor beneath them shook.
Landon leaped to his right just as the floor opened up, ready to swallow the three of them whole. His chest slammed against the inner-mouth of the giant hole in the middle of the ground, and he scrambled desperately to get a grip upon the edge of the opening. He didn’t immediately hear any screams behind him, unsure if the girls were able to move out of the way in time. But his concern was for him at the moment.
He tried pulling himself upward, what little muscles he had straining against the effort. He had already lost his wand. He had instead decided that holding onto dear life was more important than holding onto his wand – something he was sure some of his Professors would have frowned upon. With one last effort, he pushed his palms down against the edge of the floor. He was only barely able to get his head above over the edge, where the sinister face of the demon’s statue smugly looked down upon him. For a brief moment he thought the statue had changed position but Landon wasn’t sure fi it was just all the adrenaline of the bizarreness of the entire situation that was playing tricks on his mind. He saw only a quick glance of it before his grip faltered, slipping on some kind of scented ooze, and he felt back and into the abyss below.
Though the abyss didn’t last long as Landon’s back hit, and almost bounced, against a soft jelly-like substance as he slid down – deeper and deeper into the castle’s dark belly. He heard two soft grunts below him and just as he thought he would slide down forever – he too landed abruptly and hard onto a new room’s floor.
This room was dark, even with the soft yellow hue that glowed from three different sources around him. He noted immediately that one of the light sources was his own wand, its tip buried deep into a substance that smelled very familiar to the young muggle-born.
Landon struggled to get back on his feet, sliding to his knees a few times. He heard the girl who had fallen moments before ask if they were okay. Landon responded, just as he finally was able to stand on both feet, “I’m okay. Angellica – are you okay?”’ There was a genuine level of concern in his voice. It seemed it only took a near death experience where a castle actually tried to eat you to break through any doubt or suspicion he had toward them.
When Marla asked for a wand, Landon swirled around – trying to remember where he had seen the light glow from what he had thought was his own wand – from the unique carving of its handle. “Look for the soft glow in the ---“ He brought his hand closer to his face, a thin layer of the slippery substance on it. There was a familiar scent of Lime and Landon almost instantly shouted out – “I think this is … Jell-O!” He was just about to lick his finger when a long ago memory of his mother chastising him to never put things in his mouth that he wasn’t entirely sure of struck him, and he thought better of tasting the jelly. Better to play it safe than to put strange things in one’s mouth. Oral safety was always crucial.
Squinting through the semi-darkness, he continued as he walked toward where he thought he had seen the wand earlier when he fell – “The wands might be stuck in the jell-o. Can one of you make it toward yours? Maybe we can clear all this out.” He tried making his way toward the handle that stuck out of a pile of jell-o only to continue slipping along the way.
Despite the light dim, it was hard to make anything out in the darkness but Landon was sure that there was something written along the wall closest to him but without proper lamination, they were all quite literally and figuratively … in the dark.
A Seer and a Perfectionist
Stamina 7 | Evasion 4 | Strength 1 | Wisdom 6 | Arcane 9 | Accuracy 8
Angellica Rowley
19 Jul 2019, 02:31
Adventure of the Mad Mage
Statues didn't move. They didn't. No, they did. Usually when prompted. She'd read about statues at Hogwarts, hadn't one been used to descend into a path that no longer existed out of the castle? Did the armors lining certain corridors not wince and grind with discomfort? They all seemed much more comforting than what the statues adorning the room before them were doing. The angel she had compared herself too looked even more terrified, and Angellica felt her own fear rise. Perhaps it had been the right trick to get the other two to remember her name, though at the smugness and shift in the demon, she somehow doubted that was a true comfort. Would they die here? She had no plans to perish any time soon.
Clicks resounded with the newcomer, sounds the blonde might not have noticed had she not been a perfectionist. The same ability to note small things, the one that pushed her to assimilate as much knowledge as humanly possible. Sometimes it was small things, like noting that Landon would most likely grow up to be a heartbreaker when it came to other boys in the future, but it also meant getting overly excited reading over Gamp's Laws and missing the point on a homework because the information she'd gathered had just been that much more interesting than the curriculum.
Despite the slew of thoughts and memories that seemed to plague her mind, her body braced itself as the floor groaned beneath her feet. There was no time to react and she was sliding, falling, without a wand, or light. And then it was everywhere. On her jean, darkening and thickening the fabric. It permeated her shirt and the smell was a sickly mix of sweet and tangy. She hated to say she could taste the lime was it as it had been smeared on her cheek, and into her long blonde locks that she had failed to tie that day.
"I-I'm- ewwwwww," she whined. This was so absolutely not okay. She had trouble making a proper sentence. Oh if her mother saw her now, she'd be scolded to clean up and most likely denied dinner if she couldn't get ready in time by the time it was served. "This is so disgusting," she moaned as she carefully rose to her feet, feeling the squish of the gelatinous substance in her shoes. It was more immediate than noting their surroundings, the dim lighting that strained her youthful eyes. But she tried to follow it.
"I think I see our wands," she called to the other two. "It's making the..." she turned towards Landon. "Jelly glow over there." Having been raised by wizards and snobby ones to boot, the citrus-y substance was a new and unpleasant tactile experience she never wanted to relive. No amount of peer pressure would ever leave her wanting to wrestle in such a filled ring in the future. In fact, the smell of limes might even put certain margaritas out of her repertoire when the age came.
Motivated by a need to be clean and get rid of this mess - she regretted not having learned vanishment in her transfiguration classes. Of course she knew it wasn't a branch of transfiguration even if it was sometimes made unclear in certain texts. Slipping, she was close enough that she didn't bother standing again. The wizard had definitely been mad. She hadn't even needed to see the words written on the walls, or the disgusting yellow-ish tinge on it. Reality one, two, three, and four. Compared to their current reality she wasn't sure that she wanted to see what else Gilibrand had in store.
"Come here guys, I see our wands....I think."
Reducio
