The Red Queen's Labyrinth Group 13

Natasha tentatively walked over to the doors. Her teammates were next to her. She didn't know any of them. But there's nothing like making new friends, right? The riddle was like one of those oracle prophecies. Strange, makes you think something, probably means something else.

The one part that made her wonder was, "to brave the jungle is to have a knowing local in the bundle." What did it mean? A local? That made no sense. The third path looked so much like a trap. Looking so regal and calm but probably had something lurking in the shadows. The first path was promising but the riddle made her think twice. "And flourishing nature is the ruler incumbent."

If there was like a snake or something she might be able to handle it. She was a parselmouth after all. The second path was not her favourite. Insects, small things, critters, all things she wasn't fond of. The riddle said, "For the company of critters on the second path is nothing short of hearty." Was that a good sign? They all felt like traps. Well, except the first one.
The first one practically told you it was dangerous.

But picking one? That was a hard decision. According to the riddle - "But only one will be a breeze!" One path. She wondered what her teammates thought. She was tempted to take the third path, but it was a trap. She felt almost sure of that.

The first one. As much as she hated picking it, she just had a feeling. She was probably wrong. The first path did appear in the One last advice section of the riddle. What does a knowing local mean? She waited for her teammates to say something.

____________________________________________________________

Diana's fingers were lightly curled around the key in which she had received a few days prior, and was also the key that had brought her here. The young seer had stood a little behind the others, not knowing anyone. However, the hallway of the doors just felt wrong, and Diana couldn't quite place her finger on why. None of them seemed dangerous, they just seemed to be too much. Too many colors, too many shapes, too many choices pressed too closely together. It made something in her chest tighten in a way she couldn’t quite explain. So, as she normally does, Diana watches, instead of moving forward straight away.

Diana watched as one of her teammates (Natasha) stepped closer. Diana then watched the others, everyone seemed to be hesitating, but after a while of watching, Diana to stepped forward. Her gaze set on the sign. She read it once, then again, and as she read it the second time, her head titled sideways almost unconsciously. The line "To brave the jungle is to have a knowing local in the bundle.", that one stayed.

Her eyes then drifted towards the first path, the one filled with bright fungi and shifting colors. It looked alive in a way that felt…unpredictable. Not necessarily wrong, but not safe either. Then, her gaze drifted over to the second path. The gnomes. When she saw them, she didn't dare step closer. But, even from where she stood, something about them felt…loud. Not just in sound, but in presence. Like too many things happening at once, all pulling attention in different directions. It was either her or her Seer powers which was intuition making her sense these things. She leaned toward her intuition making her sense this. Then, finally, the third path, well that one was quiet, but too quiet. It was like as if no one was even inside, or something was lurking in the bushes, waiting for people to come near so it can attack. Diana watched the way the roses curled along the hedges, perfect and untouched. The soft sound of water echoed faintly, calm and steady. That path should've seemed safe, and it probably would have been the safest one but it didn't. Her fingers tightened slightly around her sleeve.

“…It feels wrong,” she said quietly. Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried just enough to be heard. She didn’t look directly at anyone at first, her gaze still fixed somewhere between the paths. “The third one,” she added after a moment. “It looks…too easy.” Sort of like a trap, but she didn't mention that aloud.

Diana hesitated, then glanced toward Natasha, as if checking she wasn’t interrupting. “The riddle says only one is a breeze,” she continued softly. “So the one that looks like it would be…probably isn’t.” Usually, Diana wasn't good with riddles, but she was thankful for having her Seer ability with her. It'd definitely come in handy in this labyrinth. Her eyes shifted back to the first path again, lingering there a little longer this time. “And the jungle line…” she murmured, almost more to herself. “It says you need a ‘knowing local’…or an out.” She frowned slightly as she continued to read between the lines of the riddle. “I don’t think we have either.” Diana exhaled quietly after pausing, then finally spoke a bit more clearly, even if her tone stayed gentle. “…I think the first path is dangerous,” she said, “but…we know that already.” Her gaze flickered briefly toward Natasha. “So it’s easier to be careful.” Another small pause. She took these pauses mainly to organize her thoughts. “…I think we should go that way.” Diana wasn't ordering anyone, she was just suggesting her ideas. However, while this was a suggestion, she didn't seem to be taking it back. Her mind was set on the first path, but it was up to what the others thought.
____________________________________________________________

The two first year girls followed very different logic. Natasha decided to go down the path that felt like a trap. At the same time, Diana came to the same conclusion, using her seer intuition. Would her abilities come in useful for the group?

In the end, this group of intrepid explorers chose to go down the colourful, nature-filled FIRST PATH. However, it seemed like nature wasn't receptive to guests today. It would only take a few steps into the path before mushrooms squirted volumes of dense, powdery mist into the air, in all sorts of colours. The mist would eventually become too thick, spurring the sensible participants to escape back to the entrance of the first path. If any brave soul decided to try to push past the mist, they would stumble upon a marshmallow-soft tile and feel a sudden tug in their gut. When they open their eyes, they would find themselves magically appearing back in the area they were in before, surrounded by the rest of their group. Once again, at the start of the first obstacle, participants would see letters formed in red mist, blocking the first path from view: “This is the wrong way! Back out you go!”

It was as if the first path was rejecting them. The plants certainly didn’t want them to go down there. So, which path would they go down next?

OOC Instructions

Reducio

Rules
Uh oh, that was the wrong path, challengers! Please try again and read the bolded part of the riddle carefully. Hint: There is only one path with “knowing locals” who will ensure your safety.

1. Similar to before, moderation will occur once a week, if at least HALF of the members in the group have posted an action.
   • If one or no members post an action that round, moderation will happen only the next week to give more time for members to post. This is for the sake of game progress.
   • If there are any special circumstances (eg, members are ill), please owl us. We will consider making exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
2. Each participant is allowed one moderated action per round. In this case, this would be another single path of your group's choice. Please include your abilities and stats in your post.
   • PLEASE STATE YOUR MODERATED ACTION IN YOUR POST! (as an OOC note).
3. Please follow all usual HIO rules.
   • This includes 200 IC word requirements.

Group 13

1. @Natasha Blackwood
2. @Rafal Devereux
3. @Diana Roberts
4. @Maurice Andrieux
5. @Zophyr Qethnis

NEXT DEADLINE: 1 week from time of posting

[/quote]

After the first path rejected them, I traced my steps back. We had to pick correctly this time. I thought that the answer was obvious this time. The second path was surely the correct one. The third path was most definitely a trap and the second was just felt right. I mean being the middle one and all that.

The other team members, besides Diana, hadn't done much yet.
"Before we go around doing more, we should at least know each other's names. I think we should do a quick introduction! My name's Natasha Blackwood, Gryffindor and a parselmouth. If you have an ability, please say so; we might need it."

I waited for the others to reply.
"So, we should go down the second path, right? Or should we do the third one? I'm on board with the second." I said after they were all done introducing themselves.

It felt the most likely to yield results. Though, I wasn't a big fan of the creepy gnomes. Their beady eyes were quite startling. Honestly, I would have done anything to not go down that path. Maybe that's why it's the right one. The knowing local thing still sounded weird. What did it mean?

Again, the two girls followed the same logic, leading them both to choose the SECOND PATH. Weren’t the other members of their team going to give out their opinions?
For our players who chose to brave the SECOND PATH, they would find themselves rewarded! Players who walked down the path would be excitedly crowded and shuffled along the path by the dancing garden gnomes present. Despite their excited gibberish, the gnomes would soon prove to be the “knowing locals” that the riddle hinted at, guiding through all the loops and turns with ease. Without trouble or hurdles, the group would find themselves in overly friendly, but safe hands. The peaceful passage through the breezy, grassy path with the cheery gnomes would eventually lead them to the second obstacle in the labyrinth…

Obstacle 2

At the end of the correct path lay the next obstacle for our brave challengers. Before them stood a door buried deep in neat, jade hedges. The air smelled of fragrant roses, and there was nothing around other than roses, hedges, and that mysterious door. If players were to try and twist its shimmering rose-gold handle, they would find it locked. A keyhole could be found beneath the handle. It was unusually small, smaller than most keyholes. To the right of the door, between a trimmed hedge and a stone wall, players would find a table. Resting on the table was a silver key, the metal glinting in the sunlight.

Above the door, a wooden, heart-shaped sign swings with the following riddle:

A key that’s right but far too tall,
Will never fit a door so small!
Shrink the problem, not the door...
Then the key may be used once more.

Oh dear, such a predicament. Perhaps this will be a job for those wands!

^{✥─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────✥}

OOC Instructions

Reducio

Rules

Congratulations, your group has made it to the second obstacle! Please note the following rules for this obstacle:

1. Similar to before, moderation will occur once a week, if at least HALF of the members in the group posted an action.
   • If one or no members post an action that round, moderation will happen only the next week to give more time for members to post. This is for the sake of game progression.
   • If there are any special circumstances (eg, members are ill), please owl us. We will consider making exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
2. Each participant is allowed one moderated action per round. Please include your abilities and stats in your post.
3. Please specify your character's action(s) in your post (as an OOC note).
   • This includes moderated actions, which are actions that require dice rolls to determine their outcome, like casting a spell.
4. Please follow all usual HIO rules.
   • This includes 200 IC word requirements.
5. Wave those wands and good luck, challengers. Have fun!

ROUND 3 SPECIAL INSTRUCTION:
As hinted above, a spell should successfully be cast in order to pass on to the next stage. Procedure will go as follows:

1. The moderator will moderate the actions by order of whoever posted first.
   Moderation notes will be left for each player.
2. If the obstacle is successfully passed before the moderation of some of the later posters’ actions, we will disregard the other actions and automatically let the group pass.

Group 13

1. @ Rafal Devereux
2. @ Diana Roberts
3. @ Maurice Andrieux
4. @ Zophyr Qethnis
5. @ Natasha Blackwood

DEADLINE: 1 week from time of posting

Natasha looked at the key. According to the riddle it probably needed to be shrunk. Diana agreed with her on that. Luckily, one of her friends had taught her the reducio charm a few weeks ago. If it hadn't been for her friend, they wouldn't be able to pass this obstacle.

She remembered being in the courtyard. Practising different spells under the shade of the trees. One of her most favourite days. She hoped she still remembered how to do the charm. It would be bad if she ended up blowing the key up or something.

"I can cast the spell." Natasha told Diana. "Even though I'm a first-year, my friend taught me how to." It was a relief Natasha knew how to or else they would've been stuck here.

She took out her wand and cautiously approached the key. Don't mess this up, she thought to herself. Besides also making a fool of herself, it would not help them get out of this escape room. After steadying her breath, she pictured a shrunken key. Remembering how her friend had taught it to her, she flicked her wand and said- "Reducio!"

Did it work?, Natasha thought to herself. She hoped it did.

Stepping past this doorway, players would be faced with an opulent yard fit for a queen. In the centre of it was a huge, luxurious pool made of shiny marble and adorned with ruby gemstone statues. The water was a brilliant, shimmering teal in the pool, quite unlike regular water, and under the sunlight, the sight was almost blinding.

The pool would have been perfect for a summer party– If not for what seemed to be a death machine in the middle of it. A flat path of emerald grass connected one end of the pool to the other, and hanging atop it was what seemed to be an axe. Back and forth the axe swung over the centre of the path, blocking the path to the next obstacle! Thankfully, if any players squinted, they would realise the axe is almost akin to a soft pillow version of the real deal.

Tighten those shoelaces and watch your step, challengers! You're going to have to make a mad dash.

Evasion DC: 20

OOC Instructions

Reducio

Rules

Congratulations, your group has made it to the third obstacle! Please note the following rules for this obstacle:

1. Similar to before, moderation will occur once a week, if at least HALF of the members in the group posted an action.
   • If one or no members post an action that round, moderation will happen only the next week to give more time for members to post. This is for the sake of game progression.
   • If there are any special circumstances (eg, members are ill), please owl us. We will consider making exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
2. Each participant is allowed one moderated action per round. Please include your abilities and stats in your post.
3. Please specify your character's action(s) in your post (as an OOC note).
   • This includes moderated actions, which are actions that require dice rolls to determine their outcome, like casting a spell.
4. Please follow all usual HIO rules.
   • This includes 200 IC word requirements.
5. Wave those wands and good luck, challengers. Have fun!

ROUND 3 SPECIAL INSTRUCTION:
For this obstacle, your character will have to use the action of “run forward”.

1. The moderator will roll an evasion difficulty check (Evasion DC 20).
2. The moderator will moderate the actions by order of whoever posted first. Moderation notes will be left for each player.
3. For this obstacle, ALL members need to pass this difficulty check to succeed. However, as Maurice, Zophyr and Rafal haven’t posted at all in the maze, if they don’t post again this round, as long as Natasha and Diana get across, you can continue.

Group 13

1. @ Rafal Devereux
2. @ Diana Roberts
3. @ Maurice Andrieux
4. @ Zophyr Qethnis
5. @ Natasha Blackwood

DEADLINE: 1 week from time of posting

So, so sorry for the delay