In Search of the Source of the Creeping Darkness Main Story

Interaction: @Flash Holmwood

Verbally rebuked for asking a question, a snide comment about responsibility. Hell, "did somebody put a Blast-Ended Skrewt up your ass or are you normally miserable?" Since they shared a dorm, one would think he had an answer for the seemingly rhetorical question but he did not. For the most part he endeavored to avoid his fellow dormmates, to simply monitor them in their 'natural environment.' Yes, a lot of zoo animals one could say, and in some cases this was an apt description. "Don't answer that, wouldn't want my observations to be 'dependent' on the opinions of others," he added with a tone of sarcasm.

What he had learned about them was that they were teenage boys given far too many options and opportunities to exercise their lack of experience. Like now. Whatever strange device, divination, shared madness or curiosity that had driven them to these depths was not right. It was more than some sixth sense or intuition, it was the fact that they all decided to at once, that they were driven by the fact that there was an intruder. Someone or something, sentient but potentially unhinged or dealing with something dangerous [confirmation] hidden in these corridors. That this was far from a calculated risk.

"Guess I will find Miss Jensen then," he announced. Hardly a 'tattle' yet. The dungeons were not really something that students were supposed to explore, sort of like walking around the boiler room or the storage shed. There were risks, at worst mild scolding. Pursing or searching for a vagrant that has taken up residence in one of the other, on the other hand, piques greater concerns. Is what they find stable? Dangerous? Supposed to be there?

It was likely that they would stumble upon some student's secret club house. Just, the chair thing was weird. The chalk outline of where it was and where it is. The 'confirmation' written on the wall. It did not make sense because it came from an addled mind. A dangerous sort of thinking because it was predictable in its own way, in the way that madness leads to isolation, lashing out and yes, a setting that in and of itself is dangerous. What if they find this unhinged person? Presuming one was there. They, the hidden one, would lash out, defend themselves. Run. Depending on the sort of paranoia that drove them to the darkness and the depths, it was very likely the actual search would prove treacherous.

He would back away from the gathering, just as Lumos' lit up the room [presume at least some would be effective]. A mental note to be taken regarding what the space looked like, where that trail of powder led - through whish passageway or door if possible as he ascended the stairs. He would not try to convince anyone to accompany him, there was no risk in the journey he was about to take and in truth he was curious about what was truly down there. That was simply something that he would be able to learn posthumously.

Action: Attempting to Leave Topic unless prevented by the moderator, by Flash or a third party.

@Hjørdis Jensen

Interacting with @Cassandra Ironwoods
Open to other interactions

Starlee's day hadn't been too out of the ordinary. The normal classwork, hanging out with friends, and avoiding certain people. To the regular person, it would have seemed like just another normal Hogwarts day. However, this was certainly not the case. At breakfast, rumors were flying up and down the Slytherin tables about a certain something in the dungeons. Starlee brushed it off, thinking it was just another rumor, but the thought kept nagging at her. What if there was something to it?

Starlee was enjoying time reading when a knock came upon the door of her dorm. This was fairly common, many had friends in other dorms and Starlee went to answer it, seeing Cash appear in front of her. "You coming with me. We are going to the dungeon to investigate the rumor. And wear something warm this time." There was no room to say no as Cash headed to one of the large couches and sat down, waiting for the first year to change.

She did so, putting on a fluffy oversized fleece jacket, along with some thicker black leggings and short boots. Who knows what they could be getting themselves into, and it was certainly best to be prepared this time, unlike her first Chamber excursion. She grabbed her wand, slid it into the long, thin pocket made specifically for wands in her leggings, and headed out of her dorm.

Cash was still seated there, but the moment they saw Starlee, they stood up and headed toward her. "Okay, I'm ready! Where are we-" and Cash grabbed Starlee's shoulders and guided her off in the direction of the dungeons.

They finally entered, along with a mass of other students, who seemed to be doing the same thing as her and Cash, to investigate the rumors. It was also very dark, and Starlee was happy to have already learned Lumos. Cash said something in their mother tongue that Starlee didn't understand, but then quickly attempted to cast Lumos. This saved Starlee the job and she would follow Cash along to the second location.

Action: Following Cash to Location #2 if their Lumos is successful.
Location: #1
Abilities: Healing Sage
Stats: Stamina: 4 - Evasion: 5 - Strength: 6 - Wisdom: 8 - Arcane: 6 - Accuracy: 5

Jack was not at all eager for a trip down into the dungeons. He knew very well by now what sort of beings - creatures? - lurked there. However, once he'd heard rumors that something or someone had newly made themselves known in the place, he could not simply ignore the potential opportunity of learning what or who it was.

Many Slytherins soon discovered there was plenty of evidence to support the gossip, too, if they went to check. The problem was that there was no way to tell if the 'evidence' was left behind by a person like a harmless student or something more dangerous like a hag. Jack certainly wouldn't have put it past the caretaker or even one of the more mischevious prefects to set up sites of interest.

Even so, the redhead came armed with all he dared weigh himself down with just in case. He had heard and seen the others of his house headed the same way, but he wasn't sure he trusted them, even the best of them, to know what to do in case they met up with danger, much less get back out of the dungeons alright.

Admittedly, Jack wasn't as worried about his fellow housemates as he usually found himself. This occasion was not some sleepless night in the saftey of their common room or a secret glamorous ball. This time they knew what they were getting themselves into and could plan accordingly; at least, he hoped they did. If not, then they were fools for not attempting to prepare before plunging headfirst into the damp darkness of the dungeons.

It was the dungeons that they, as Slytherin, should have known better than any other Hogwarts house. The responsibility of their saftey was in their own hands as far as the Welsh boy was concerned, so they didn't need to wait for him to go on their way and he didn't need to hurry after in their wake. He also didn't quite trust them not to overlook something important as he'd witnessed them do in the past time and time again.

While everyone else seemed to hurry past the chair on its side and large bold word proclaiming 'CONFIRMATION' of something, Jack refused to let their impatience pressure him to push on. He knelt and attempted to examine the lines that made up the words and outlines of the chairs.

Touching the tip of his finger to the white stuff that made up one of the letters, he touched it tentatively to the tip of his tongue. Likely, he thought, it would taste like chalk, but at least he'd have something to compare it to when he tested it against the tentative tasting of the white, powdery substance that descended down the stairs. That, of course, was what he did next, just to make sure they were the same.

The chalk outlines that seemed to have been drawn where the chair was and where it had been. He eyed those with curiosity before eventually moving the chair upright from its sideways position and fitting it into the outline of its supposedly previous place. Then, on a whim, he sat atop it and tried to get an idea of the perspective from his new vantage point.

Maybe he looked like an absolute idiot or a lunatic, but with everyone else eager to get ahead of him, he doubted anyone would stop to see or bother commenting on his peculiar behavior.

Open to interactions
Interacting with: No one.
Mentioning: No one.
Location: Room 1 (at the top of the stairs)
Actions:
- Tasting chalk from letters to compare to white substance trailing down the steps
- Righting the chair to fit it into its former position and seating himself upon it to inspect his surroundings
Abilities: Prodigal Charms Learner; Binding Mark
Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 3 | Wisdom: 10 | ArcPower: 7 | Accuracy: 7 |

Interaction Status: OPEN

Søren was never a fan of the basements. They were dark, dingy, and definitely hiding secrets. Even the Slytherin common room was too gloomy for his taste. He’d much prefer a view of the Quidditch Stands rather than the unsettling lake which cast odd shadows, haunting his dreams. The daunting aura of the room was the perfect place for passing rumors too, and Søren’s well-trained ears recently picked up hearsays of something creeping down in the dungeons.

Søren went about his dreadfully lonely schedule for the day, ending at the entrance to the common room. The second of hesitation he took before entering was enough time for a tickle to run up his back. It was all the motivation he needed to make his way across the floor to the dungeons. He wasn’t the only one with the idea, clearly, as he noticed several students heading in the same direction. Good. At least he wouldn’t be alone. Innate curiosity was never a trait of his, but he was always drawn to group activities. However, calling this something as muggle as a group activity sounded like it would come back to bite him.

Anticipating the dungeons to be cold, Søren was thankful for his choice in sweater for the day. He was never truly confident with his wand in hand, so it stayed tucked in the side of his pants. The dungeons weren’t inviting, so he stuck to the status quo, following the others to a particularly intriguing hallway. It led to some steps, descending into a literal void. Søren would rather not take his chances down there and instead, he looked towards the chair, but just a second too late. Another student, one from his year, was already fiddling around with the scene, righting the chair and touching the dust. A right detective, that one. He could see an eerily scribbled message on the floor too, and it did nothing to settle him.

The last time a… er… group activity took place, he practically forced himself into a trio, only to be separated from them early on. The brief memory of being grouped was comforting, but this time Søren would stay alone unless someone else approached him. He didn’t expect to see any of his friends here, either. They were less than enthused about the rumors going around, choosing to ignore them entirely and go about their business as usual. Søren asked himself why he couldn’t be like them. There was neither need nor want in the boy’s mind for another fight club fiasco. And yet.

He withdrew his wand from its position, fumbling slightly. Dark creatures lurking around the area were the furthest thing from his mind and so, it was the incantation for the wand-lighting charm that left his lips with an unassertive whisper. If successful, he would follow the trail down the stairs. If unsuccessful, he would stay in the original hall and continue to observe Jack and the chair.

Action
Casting Lumos

Mentioning
@Jack Burnett

Ability: Charmer
Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 8 | Strength: 7 | Wisdom: 6 | ArcPower: 2 | Accuracy: 6

Koko had heard something was down in the dungeons.

Now, she didn't necessarily enjoy the dank, mildewy stench emanating from the place, but she found it had its own sort of charm. It attracted people (and things) in a way that many other things couldn't.

It even attracted Koko, a Slytherin who, let's face it, was very much a hermit.

The girl shivered in the damp air, pulling her coat closer to her. She hadn't dressed correctly, but it was fine. Her hands were in her pockets, and she clenched her hand around the letter that had led her to come down here - after all, she couldn't just leave Sapphire to die. Koko wasn't that awful.

Still, as she blinked to adjust to the darkness, anxiety swirled in her stomach. A strange sense of foreboding washed over her. The shadows seemed to dance in the nearly non-existent light.

She finally shuffled into a hallway, noticing the word 'CONFIRMATION' spelt out in all capital letters. The tang of copper hit her nostrils - what was this place? - and she wrinkled her nose in halfhearted disgust. Confirmation, sure... but of what? Koko couldn't think of anything that needed confirming in this situation. The hall? Gross. The atmosphere? Smelly. The feeling attempting to paralyse her? Fear, probably.

She really did not want her fear confirmed, though.

She noticed a chair lying on its side. What had happened? While she wasn't certain she wanted to investigate, she had to wonder... These were the dungeons. Why would a chair be in the dungeons!? Had someone been held prisoner?

Koko really wished she'd brought her knife. It was just a kitchen knife, but she'd grown attached to it. That, and she could also use it if she needed to. Who knew what she would find down here?

She hadn't even checked the time. Were they even allowed out of the Common Room? Was she breaking the rules?

Thousands of worries plagued her. Still, she took a deep breath, and she glanced nervously around her. Sapphire had left her a note. Sapphire was supposed to be down here.

"Sapphire?" she asked.

Action: none
Stats:

Reducio

Stamina: 15
Strength: 3
Evasion: 6
Accuracy: 6
ArcPower: 5
Wisdom: 6

Interacts with @Sapphire Riddle
OPEN to other interactions.

[font=century gothic]INTERACTING WITH @Flash Holmwood | MENTIONING @Ileen Knight, @Jack Burnett[/font]

It wasn't often that Evelynn found herself descending the stairs lower and lower into the deeper levels of the dungeons. Aside from her potions classes, she really had no reason to. Of course, she'd heard the occasional loose rumour the year prior of some events that had taken place in the dark depths of the castle, but they'd seemed over and dealt with. There'd been no reason to venture down again to pursue any further investigations. Until now, it seemed. Flash had been the one to raise the rumours to her attention, and like the Bonnie to his Clyde, Evelynn had jumped at the opportunity to bring them to light.

With the exception of the strange happenings at the Hallowe'en Ball that almost seemed as though they could have been isolated and thematic events, the start of the year had been almost uncannily quiet. The heist of the Hogwarts' Express on their return from the Winter Holidays, however, had put to rest any hope that the trials and tribulations might actually have been over. And unlike last year, she wasn't going to allow herself to be carried along in ignorance as chaos unfurled around her. The outlaw assault had more than emphasized the fact that they wouldn't always be able to rely on adults to fish them out of trouble. Of course, that didn't mean that Evelynn wouldn't seek help or bring concerns to the attention of the professors when it was appropriate, but these were just rumours. There wasn't yet anything concrete to even pass along. Thus, it was better to equip herself with as much understanding and knowledge as possible first. At least, that's how she would rationalize every descending step that she took into the increasingly dank depths of the castle dungeons.

Arriving at the spot where Flash had indicated to meet, Evelynn's brows flared almost immediately. There were so many other students here, and as her gaze panned over the lot of them, it was very clearly a Slytherin majority. Which was…interesting, to say the least. And more than a little unsettling. Were these rumours really so widely known among the snake pit? She felt more than a little out of place arriving in so unfamiliar an area of the castle surrounded by so many unfamiliar faces. And those that were familiar were not necessarily ones she was keen to see.

"Flash," she greeted quietly on arrival, her voice almost reverently low, as though attempting to keep herself unnoticed until ready to join the fray. She hitched her shoulder to adjust the satchel hung over it. She'd come prepared with a number of items that she thought might come in handy: an incomplete sketched map of the Hogwarts' underground, the locksmith's knife she'd discovered the previous summer, a couple of magic candles and a lighter, some wizard's tight, and even her broom compass to name a few. Coming abreast of him, Flash's less than enthusiastic demeanour became all the more apparent in his stance. It was quite uncharacteristic for him—at least to her. He generally kept himself cool and collected. "There are quite a few others…" she acknowledged, hazarding to guess that perhaps he was just as reticent about the lack of subtlety in hunting after the rumours as she was.

As her gaze panned back to wander amongst the sea of students who'd gathered in such close quarters in this one area, it came to settle on something out of place on one of the walls. A chair lay askew upon the floor with what appeared to be a chalk outline of where it had once stood upright, and the word "CONFIRMATION" written out with an arrow pointing to the downed piece of furniture. Even as she considered it, two others went to investigate: a girl whom she didn't really know, and Burnett, who promptly righted the chair and sat upon it as though it were a throne from which to gaze upon his subjects who had gathered before him.

Burnett aside, the display seemed strange. "It's as though someone were looking for evidence," Evelynn suggested quietly, closing the distance to Flash until her shoulder brushed against his and inclining her head in his direction as she whispered her observations. "Like they drew an outline around the chair just as someone might do around a rash to measure if it changes at all. As though they expected it to move from its original position. Or perhaps be moved. And then when they came back to find it toppled, wrote the message to confirm that belief that they weren't alone here."

But if there was one thing that Evelynn had learned in her year previous, it was that not everything was as it appeared to be. The tapestries in Gryffindor tower had been all but overlooked until one little spell had changed everything. "I'm going to go take a closer look," she whispered to Flash before stepping forward to join the girl (Knight) and Burnett. Around her, quiet commands for light were uttered by a number of students. She had every intention to do the same, but not for the same purpose. Dipping briefly to draw her wand from her boot, she closed the distance to the wall and uttered, "Verdimillious." She didn't suspect it to reveal anything new, but on the off chance that the message was enchanted with a second hidden meaning…

[font=century gothic]ACTION: Greeting Flash, observing the chair and chalk, casting Verdimillious[/font]

[font=century gothic]STA | 8‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ STR | 2‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ EVA | 10 WIS | 10‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ ARC | 2‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ ACC | 10 KEEN EYE — There is a 25% chance of automatically finding something. FEARLESS — Immunity to fear effects.[/font]

[font=century gothic] ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ INVENTORY ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‎ Broom Compass Sketched Map of Underground Locksmith's Knife Wizard's Tight Magical Candles / Lighter [/font]

When Jack had thought everyone had gone ahead or would be too eager to pass him to notice what he was doing, he turned out to be wrong. In fact, several people evidently noticed; people he had been too busy to pay attention to while examining the chair and white powders. He leapt to his feet immediately after seeing them from his seat on the chair, trying to conceal his embarrassment with a relatively calm demeanor.

Some of the faces were more familiar than others, but all of them intrigued him. These were the snakes who hadn't decided to rush head-on into what was very likely danger of some kind or another. One could have argued that perhaps they were just cowards, but Jack preferred the notion of overwhelming caution and self-preservation to an idiotic fearlessness. Slytherin was cunning, not stupidly brave. The fact that they had lingered at the top of the stairs made these housemates of his amoung the best paragons of Slytherin traits in his opinion.

Even so, they had seen him pick up the chair, disturbing its 'crime scene', and sit down on it for not apparent reason. Some had probably even seen him try to taste the powder of the chalky substance that made up the written word.

"Uh...Hi, guys," he murmured with a sheepish grin, half wondering if he should put the chair back where he found it on the ground. Eventually, he decided to just leave it where it was. "You waiting on anything?" He glanced toward the dungeon entrance. "Or...anyone?"

Of the people he saw, Flash and Evelynn he probably knew best. Ileen he was gradually becoming more familiar with as he lingered around her and her friend Dealla. Søren was more of a mystery since Jack only really remembered his remarkable performance when he'd danced at their Slytherin victory party at one in the morning. He was curious to learn more about the guy.

As he was regarding them each in turn and thinking, a new familiar face showed up. This one belonged to another dorm mate of his; Percival Rainwood.

"Hey Rainwood," Jack greeted him with a casual raise of his hand. "Looking for Tone?"

Open to interactions
Interacting with: @Søren Silverwood@Percival Rainwood@Evelynn Decipio@Ileen Knight@Flash Holmwood
Mentioning: @Hanako Tone
Location: Room 1 (at the top of the stairs)
Actions:
- Getting up from the chair after noticing the others watching him
Abilities: Prodigal Charms Learner; Binding Mark
Stats: Stamina: 6 | Evasion: 7 | Strength: 3 | Wisdom: 10 | ArcPower: 7 | Accuracy: 7 |

| Outfit |

Percival's curiosity was like a slowly growing shadow of burning desire and foolhardiness. The boy stood at the entrance to the winding halls of the dungeon. He didn't know exactly where he was going, but he knew the reason why he was there. The rumors had spread like wildfire among the Slytherins. Drawing him in to eavesdrop on the excited whispers of first-years who didn't realize just how loud they were speaking. Normally, Percival would throw away the stupid rumors a couple of first-years made up. He highly doubted their undeveloped brains could comprehend truth from fiction. Though it seemed that there may have been more weight to the rumors. Soon enough the older years started to talk about it too, and his curiosity was thoroughly piqued. Keagen Deathmote seemed to be the main character of these rumors. Such an interesting name must have meant the boy would be of an interesting character. Along with the name came the setting of these rumors. The dungeons. A mysterious place by itself, and now with Deathmote's name attached to it made it all the more tantalizing.

He had never been one to deny himself of his curiosities. It was like an itch that he could just not ignore. Percival wanted to know what was happening, and he wanted to know why it was happening. So that was exactly what he decided to do. The boy could not help but feel a slight chill run down his spine as he made his way down into the deeper parts of the dungeons. Percival wished he had decided to wear something more than his black turtleneck. The dungeons were cool, and the moist air seemed to make it all the worse. The first thing he noticed was that it was too quiet almost too quiet. As if this was the calm before the storm. The entire situation made him uneasy, but onward he continued. The boy like many others had been drawn by the strange noises that echoed down the stone corridors. Percival's black shoe kicked an abandoned bottle causing it to crash and break quite loudly a few feet in front of him. The boy childishly held his breath as he tensed up straight like a rod. After a few moments, the boy continued onward unwilling to throw aside his mission over a broken bottle.

The boy entered the first room noting the underlying scent of iron. It duly reminded of the time he had split his lip after accidentally faceplanting into Ileen. The memory brought about feelings of residual embarrassment, but he decided to focus on the taste of the blood. It had been bitter and coppery, similar to that in the air. Percival didn't like the thought that there may be blood within these rooms. Upon looking around the room, his gaze immediately fell onto the chalk outlines of what appeared to be bodies and the large letters that read CONFIRMATION. His brows furrowed together as he took everything in. Something was.....severely wrong. Percival's right hand quickly made its way to his concealed wand. Pulling it out into his hand made him feel a bit better. The boy wished he could pull out his lighter in his left pocket, but he hardly doubted it would be of any help. Percival glanced quickly as he heard his name being called. A familiar red-haired boy stood a few paces away from him. "Oh hello Burnett." he greeted back with a frown on his face. It occurred to him that he hadn't seen the boy on his way down the staircase. Have you seen him around?" he asked his brow scrunching together. Percival looked about the room with another cursory look before looking back towards Burnett. "Do you know what happened here?" he asked taking a closer look at one of the outlines.

Open to Interactions

Location: Room 1
Action: Taking a closer look at the white outlines.

Interacting with: @Jack Burnett
Mentioning: @Hanako Tone, @Ileen Knight

Stats:

Reducio

Foulplay ⋅ Lovely Creature
| Stamina 6 | Evasion 6 | Strength 8 | Wisdom 5 | Arcane Power 8 | Accuracy 7 |

Being right didn't ease the malcontent in his heart as more and more children flooded down the stairs. The sound of them murmuring and sniffling, the sound echoing around the enclosed space... it was starting to get a bit overstimulating. Even on his best days, he hated being in the dungeons. The fact that everyone was calling attention to the group would have certainly warned anyone even remotely nearby to their presence. Perhaps it was important to at least try to encourage them all to leave.

Luckily, it seemed the kid was finally going to put his money where his mouth was, as far as actually going to fetch Madame Jensen. Flash was almost surprised no one stopped him, perhaps no one believed him, figured he was making an excuse to leave with no intention of following through. He certainly didn't seem to have anyone in the gathered group who spoke up to defend him. Well, regardless, Flash wouldn't respond to his crude insult. If anything, it was at least a bit funny. If he really did get Madame Jensen, she would hopefully remove the crowd. Then he could look in peace.

Of the many who joined the slew, Burnett and Opeila were among them. They weren't unfamiliar faces in dangerous places. He practically felt bad for all of them. He recognized most of the people present. Selim was there, surprisingly. The entire group was a mish-mosh, everyone had been drawn in for their own reason, no singular drive. Chaos. Suffocating walls. Locked doors.

Before he had a chance to start feeling too ill, Flash what brought back to earth by the sound of his name. He could feel an instant ease wash over his tensed shoulders, his eyes catching the familiar face of Evelynn. It was nice that she came, she certainly didn't have to. Perhaps it wasn't even all that smart of her to accept, he might have been wrong to ask. The fact that so many others were there made his a very tenuous situation. He could tell she was similarly put out, though unlike him, she seemed to take it in stride.

"Hopefully most of them will leave once Madame Jensen is called to break us up." Important information, quickly dispersed. Quietly, inconspicuous.

She continued into the room to investigate the words and chair, something a few others were also interested in. Flash would move with her, feeling inside his bag to where the invisibility cloak was kept. It would have been more useful if the room wasn't lit up like a bright summer day. Just going to assume more than one Lumos succeeds at this point. He wanted to give it to Evelynn anyway, he wanted her with him, but he didn't want her in danger. It didn't help that there were now multiple people there who he didn't want to get hurt. He didn't have a choice, he'd have to keep an eye on all of them now.

He sidled up beside her to hand the cloak over innocuously, as though he was worried about her getting too cold. She was casting a spell at the moment, but once she was done he would place it in her arms. He could explain in a bit, hopefully.

"I think you're right. We had better tread quietly." Flash said, this time loud enough for anyone to hear. You hear that, everyone? Quietly.

With that he would continue looking forward, not exactly expecting the chair to hold any deeper meaning. Not that he wouldn't keep an ear trained on Evelynn's findings and conclusion, but he felt like Mathias had set a time limit. In theory. Also, he was eager to distance himself from as many people as possible, some of them more than others.

He wasn't the only one though. Someone else had the exact same idea, the person being Varellion. He only knew his name because Erin said it, as when Flash punched him in the face he had only been a number. Someone in his way. Of course, once that fight proved to be futile, he couldn't help but feel it was wrong to say nothing. Of course, he had only ever asked him to stand down, but Thomas brought the fight out. Or not, he seemed incredibly insistent on winning the fight club, even in the face of impossible odds. It wasn't behavior that would go completely unnoticed, not to mention the things Miss Erin said to him. Like Flash, he had some kind of personal investment in what was going on. Something he wasn't telling other people, or Flash would already know.

"Varellion, right?" Flash would broach conversation with him gently. "I was hoping to tell you that I'm sorry."

He had plenty more to say, but there was no point if his apology would be refused out of hand. Unlike with most things, Flash wouldn't pressure forgiveness. It was hollow unless it was earned.

Room 1

The stairwell would terminate. The floor solid and cold. The next room dark and unknown.

Room 2

Santario Martin was among the first to arrive along with Pervical Gray, the obvious line of white granules that zig-zagged down the hall into the darkness beckoned the Slytherin to follow. There were too many mysteries left unsolved, too many questions unanswered. She would not allow yet another one to linger.

Santario cast Lumos
Roll: 15

The tip of her land would start to glow this warm light that contrasted with the moist chill that lingered in the air. She would see the line meander down the center of the room through an archway into darkness. Santario would follow the trail of metaphorical breadcrumbs. She would find herself into a smaller room. The trail would circle around a hole in the floor once making an uneven oval or more accurately described curlicue as it meandered further.

There was a faint warm glow, not enough to illuminate the otherwise dark room that came from the pit.

As the light would fade away, Percival Gray would attempt to light his wand also.

Percival Gray cast Lumos
Roll: 2

Failure. Gosh darn it. The tip of his wand would remain unlit. He would look around the room. They were in a large open space that was cluttered with litter. A back scratcher was placed against a wall. Several mason jars, most empty but there were several that had contents -- one was half full of dirt and a rather chubby earth worm, another had a smaller mason jar stored safely inside and the third was filled with dark, dirty, snarled hair as well as what appeared to be toenail clippings. There was also half, yes half a stool. Two legs, padded top, split in half, the other half mysteriously absent.

The walls of the dungeon were a concern as well. The walls were adorned with 'paintings', drawn with chalk. There was heavy favoritism on drawing eyes. There are a total of four exits in this room. The one from which they came. Over the archway would be a single marking: an X.

The second to the right (room 4) would have the word HOME. The third, the center passageway would have the nothing written over or near the door but there was the line of white leading those curious enough inside (room 3). The fourth was a door, a shut door made of wood secured with iron. Something was written on the door: NOBODY IS HOME.

Whelp this is creepy.

"What are we doing down here?"

A first year, Mathias Pride would inquire. The dungeons were not a place that should be explored. Previous disasters that were before his time had become a thing of legend but not myth. There was something dangerous living in, around or near Hogwarts. Something that clings to the darkness.

"Should I get a house elf or a Professor?"

Before disaster. Unheard of!

"Should you? Why don't you answer that question yourself instead of shoving the responsibility off on others?"

A voice would reply from the darkness of the stairs. From the way from which Mathias came. Even if mathias failed to identify his dormate by his voice alone, as others edged their way past Flash Holmwood, fresh Lumos' would be lit. Santario continued to walk away and the light continued to fade. Piper would emerge from further up the stairwell and walk past Flash. The young blonde did not address those already there, she just drew her wand and cast Lumos.

Piper cast Lumos.
Roll: 14

The tip of her wand would light up and bathe the room in fresh light. As she did something moved.

Perception Checks Piper 17 (+8) Mathias 10 (+5) Pervical 17 (+6) Santario 3 (+8)

Selim Hide Roll: 16 (+7) Selim was seen.

Only Piper and Percival would see it, a flicker out of the corner of her eye. A movement that seemed to recoil in response to her light. That someone was Selim Faust. He was not that well hidden, more taking advantage of the darkness and the shadows. His sallow skin a stark contrast to the dark grey stone. The glimmer of his dead-eyed gaze would sparkle ever so slightly in response to the illumination.

The sound of footfalls would draw attention back to the stairwell (room 1). Koko and Sapphire Riddle entered the shared space. Sapphire announced Lumos before she entered the room.

Sapphire cast Lumos.
Roll: 19

A light would emanate from the stairwell and Sapphire would enter the room.

Behind the girls was Bridget Collins and Illowy Magnard. She was taking her time moving down the hall. There were oddities of course, that was what drew the curious Slytherins from the safety of their common room. She would see what everyone else saw -- a bit of dust, cobwebs and clutter as they moved further from habitable spaces. There were empty, sometimes cracked phials, bottles and in some cases larger mason jars. Storage vessels whose contents were evacuated.

There was the overturned chair and the strange declaration. The hallway itself was dark and cold. The passageway was well-traveled, the dust had only been collected along the edge of the wall.

Observation Bridget
Roll: 20 Critical success

It would not be what she saw, she saw everything that there was to see. Although the shadows seemed a bit too lively. Jack Burnett, another Slytherin was nearby and he would give that white powder a taste. It tasted like salt. Something that Bridget would unfortunately not know unless Jack commented on it. But she would smell something, this strange scent of sulfur and ash. A bit of mold and rot also. She was rather certain that the copper odor and the darkness were blood.

Illowy was at bridget's side. The buddy system was a smart system. She would cast Lumos.

Illowy cast Lumos.
Roll: 4

She would state the incantation for the wand lighting charm and the tip of her wand would fill the narrow hall in a warm, pleasant light that contrasted with the dreary surroundings. The actual spiders that skittered across the floor, the droppings that one could assume belonged to a rat or similar vermin. The cobwebs and the thick line of dust that collected in the crease wher ethe wall met the floor.

A glint of silver, a discarded thumbtack.

A small length of frayed hempen rope, too short to be of any actual use.

They would hear a duo pass them by. A pair of Henry's would start on the very same adventure. Something about the strange elopement and shared journey of his housemates. Knight was not interested in getting separated from his Henry. The answer was simple for him, "Lumos Maxima!"

Henry cast Lumos Maxima
Roll: 19

A blinding white light would emanate from the tip of the teen's wand. It would be no less troubling being able to see but at the very least he would not be alone as they traversed these not-so-abandoned halls. Henry Llewellyn had a passive skill (keen eye) where he just seemed to notice things.

Henry L. observation.
Roll: 17
Keen Eye: 55

His keen eye would not catch anything but the incredibly bright light from Knight's Lumos Maxima coupled with his powers of observation, he would notice something ...off. A few stones, large square bricks about ten paces from the chair appeared to be loose.

The girl from the ring (Astrea) would sulk on past the duo.

Astra observes the area around her, the ominous aura rolls off of her like a poisonous mist. Her cryptic presence more likely felt before the girl is seen.

Astrea Observes
Roll: 13

She would not see the displaced stones that did not quite fit right along the base of the wall. But she would notice how the hall was ill-kept but well-traveled. Perhaps this was all from today, but... that was unlikely. The discarded bottles and items found lining the passage suggested otherwise.

She would rest her back against the dark, cold wall. Allow others to pass, become one with the dungeon. Dan Palmer would trudge past her. His bare feet slapping the cold, hard floor. His feet were going to be filthy at the end of this.

Dan would see others waiting in this large, semi-lit room. Looking around, perhaps mildly confused. Mathias would attempt to walk past Palmer to leave.

"Hey, What'r alla ye doin'? You explorin' too?"

Palmer would announce, the obvious hobbit of this journey experiencing wanderlust with bare feet and a sense for adventure.

Dan's Keen Eye
Roll: 20

Dan was a master of observation off the quidditch pitch (sorry man, I platonically love you), he would notice something off about the room. Not the strange paintings that suggest a resident madman. Not the bottles and the unusual items strewn about the room or even the meandering line of white that lazily escaped through the center door.

He would of course identify Selim lurking in the shadows like a strange vampire hiding from the lights being carried by his peers. What he would notice is something a bit more concerning. Something was hanging over the passageway in the far right, just after the archway. Impossible to know what from where he stood, but he would know that there was something hanging, attached or suspended over the passageway (Room 4).

Ileen Knight would miss the travels of her predecessors, meeting up with Bridget and Illowy whose attentions were piqued by the chair and the trail of white, chalky substance that meanders away. There was something interesting, something possibly important about this chair and this white stuff. There had to be some significance, nothing is done at random.

Ileen observation
Roll: 18

What she would notice is something strange about the white substance, that it was not necessarily chalk. Rather a thin pile of a white, crystalline substance that was used in abundance. She would see Jack eat it and not die. He would compare it to the other white stuff, it was indeed the same, albeit it was contaminated with dust, dirt, filth and possibly droppings.

Jack would grab the chair and again fail to die. He simply grippe the chair in his hands and with his feeble strength right the overturned seat. It no longer was within the markings that defined its final resting place. On all four legs, Jack would sit in the seat. His ass, relatively safe. It was never truly safe, he had far too many enemies and whatever might have been on the chair wanted less to do with his ass in one way or another than a number of other entities.

Jack B. observes
Roll: 8

From his seated vantage point he would look around and see nothing. Nothing being just as significant as something. That there was a lot of fanfare. That there was a line of salt. That the chair was not dangerous. That the chalk/salt was not toxic. So "confirmation"... confirmation for what?

Weird.

Lumos -- was uttered next to Jack by a passing figure.

Søren casts Lumos
Roll: 2

No light would illuminate the hall, so the figure would halt. One Søren Silverwood would simply stand there and wait. There was safety in numbers and not far from him were several potential allies or at worst -- decoys.

Cassandra Ironwoods and Starlee Kennedy would walk on past the small group (Jack, Ileen, Bridget and Illowy) that was observing the chair and the duo further down the hall potentially observing the stones (unknown so not godmodding if you decide to do something else) which was Henry squared. They would make their way down the stairs, past Astrea and Palmer even.

"Dios mío! hace tanto frío aquí abajo (my god! it is so cold down here)"

Cash complained.

Not that it was a shock to anyone there. Cassandra would join many of the other Hogwarts students and cast the wand lighting charm.

Cassandra casts Lumos.
Roll: 19

The tip of her wand started to glow, illuminating the area around her and Starlee.

Sarah Lighthood, a rather unique appearing young woman with her verdant hair would enter the room (room 2) alone but she would have plenty of company once she entered. She would do what many of the others did. Cast Lumos.

Sarah casts Lumos.
Roll: 18

The tip of her wand would light up, the room already well light by the shining wand tips of her fellow students. She would see that same trail bisecting the room roughly, headed towards the center passageway. Santario Martin was following the trail with apparent interest.

Alexander Varellion was right behind Sarah. He had not even entered the main space when his voice echoed from the hall -- Lumos.

Alexander cast Lumos.
Roll: 10

The tip of his wand would light up as he strode into the shared space. That light would draw Flash's attention. Alexander was, at least to some level, a relevant. Someone of relative import.

"Varellion, right?"

Flash would broach conversation with him starting with an apology he might have meant or he might not have.

"I was hoping to tell you that I'm sorry."

Opeila would not bother lighting her wand as she joined the crowd. Her heart and mind would warn her -- this felt like a trap! So many of them in a single place, external to the 'safety' of their common room. Despite feeling like this, she would endeavor on. Face first into drama and trauma.

But first a light -- Lumos.

Opeila observes.
Roll: 1 Critical Failure

Which way was she going again, it was terribly dark in this hall. There was a light at the end of this stairwell but was she certain that she was always going down and not up? There should not be any light in front of her. Indeed, her observation skills were not quite up to par on this day. There would be a sense of security that accompanied the light. It kept the darkness and the terrors sometimes at bay. The nightmares that she would never be able to forget. The darkness that could kill. The darkness that could take. The only problem was, she had entered the darkness, she was seeking answers. It was too bright that way (to room 2), she would turn around and start walking the other way.

Opeila stays in Room 1 due to Crit failure (got lost).

She never reached Flash.

Late-commer, Eve was a long ways from Gryffindor. Whatever strange things bright her from her normal stomping grounds would prove to be an unanticipated adventure. Not far from the Slytherin entranceway she would see evidence of derelicts or at the very least sloppy children.

She would pass by Burnett being a weirdo and descend the stairs. In the next room (2) she would find a gaggle of Slytherins.

"I'm going to go take a closer look."

Eve announced. A closer look at what? Well, not this room if she was going to accompany Burnett and Knight. That would mean that she would promptly turn around and ascend a flight of stairs. She would find Jack.

Her idea was simple, see if she can find what was hidden.

Eve casts Verdimillious
Roll: 10

Green sparks would shoot from the tip of her wand, covering the area with a cool, verdant glow. The glow would outline an area along the floor. Approximately four bricks long along the base of the floor several feet away from the chair upon which Jacks ass kept warm. the same four bricks Henry squared had identified. These bricks were loose, there was a lack of mortar.

Flash would be absent from Jack's greeting, he had long ago left for room (2), a room that they had entered before Jack had even entered the thread. However he would greet Søren Silverwood, Evelynn Decipio, and Ileen Knight.

"Uh...Hi, guys. You waiting on anything? Or...anyone?"

Percival was a no show, so it might have been a bit odd when Jack greeted his dormmate with a casual wave.

"Hey Rainwood... Looking for Tone?"

Another student who was not present. How odd. [I will straight man any weirdness like your friends not showing and you writing talking to them. Get them off their butts.]

Let's presume Percival Grey got lonesome so he made his way back into the hall (room 1), back up those stairs after he was cruelly abandoned by Mathias, perhaps he was his first year emotional support underclassman. The draw of familiar voices would draw him back up the stairs since that chair was in room 1.

"Oh hello Burnett."

Gray gave the second year a greeting of his own.

"Have you seen him around?"

Him who? Other Percicval? Did Jack get the two Percivals mixed up, they don't look anything alike!

"Do you know what happened here?"

That was the question of the hour. What was going on? Why was it happening?

Percival had already used his action for the round (the Lumos attempt) so he was not able to observe the white stuff. (Something terrible would have happened as an auto crit fail had I been able to think of anything.)

__________________________________



Meanwhile:

@Kaegen Deathmote was blissfully unaware of the intrusions. Of course he had little to fear. Well, he had plenty to fear, fear was what kept him alive. Location: unknown.

What Happened and Where?
Gone
@Mathias Pride left topic.
Room 1
@Percival Gray was unsuccessful in his attempt to cast Lumos. [Room 1]
@Bridget Collins observed her surroundings - noticed that the shadows seemed a bit 'too lively' but that she also caught some scents: sulfur, ash, mold and rot. Due to critical success, in next room, will supply additional information regarding the setting if applicable. [Room 1]
@Illowy Magnard cast Lumos. [Room 1]
@Ileen Knight observes the chair and the white substance. Notes a granule-like nature to the white substance. [Room 1]
@Henry Knight casts Lumos Maxima successfully. He would passively recognize that the copper scent was blood. [Room 1]
@Henry Llewellyn noticed a quartet of loose bricks near the base of the wall of the hall. [Room 1]
@Astrea Soleil Neptune observed her surroundings. [Room 1]
@Opeila Winters critically failed her observation. She got turned around and never left room 1. [Room 1]
@Jack Burnett ate salt off the floor. Discovered that the chair is not a mimic. [Room 1]
@Søren Silverwood failed to cast Lumos. [Room 1].
@Evelynn Decipio cast Green Sparks successfully. Has identified 4 loose bricks.[Room 1]
Ropom 2
@Santario Martin successfully cast Lumos. [Room 2]
@Sarah Lightwood Cast Lumos successfully. [Room 2]
@Flash Holmwood told Mathias off. Talking to Alexander V.[Room 2]
@Piper Clark cast Lumos. She also noticed something dark move. [Room 2]
@Selim Faust is trying to stay in the dark, but Piper and Percival can see him. [Room 2]
@Sapphire Riddle successfully cast Lumos. [Room 2]
@Koko Riddle [Room 2]
@Starlee Kennedy [Room 2]
@Cassandra Ironwoods Cast Lumos successfully. [Room 2]
@Dan Palmer entered the starter room and noticed something hanging over Room 4's entrance. [Room 2]
@Alexander Varellion cast Lumos successfully. [Room 2]

Remember:
1 action per round.
May move into up to 1 room.
Observation is an action, but there are some passive effects that have grant users some passive observations.
You cannot hear what is happening in the rooms adjacent unless it is screamed, please do not metagame. With screaming, up to 2 rooms. Just remember, others can hear you too.
To escape, must return to Room 1.