Summer Camp Mysterious Maze Group 3 Closed

───────────── Interacting @Howard @Elena Jangleton @Santario Martin as Angelique @Bloom Silverton Calming Presence - Maze Team ─────────────

───────────── Luka Volkov Koldovstoretz The golden wolf Russian / English ─────────────

───────────── Outfit Reducio ─────────────

Luka stared at the hedges as they consumed the slowest of the group. A brief moment of concern for the girl made him hesitate as the others continued along the path they had chosen out of panic. This maze was just a game. Hosted by the school. Surely she would be ok? Perhaps she would be sent in a different direction? With no path back, there was no way for him to find out what happened to her. He turned and followed the others down the path, looking first left then right when they reached the next fork.

“Oranges or ducks? This maze is very strange.” He replied with a small laugh. He glanced at his companions, as they spoke, first Howard suggesting they stay together. “Yes, I’ll watch our backs.” He agreed to the older boy’s suggestion. Howard suggested oranges then Elena also voed for left, suspicious of the duck noises. Bloom agreed with the others but also posed a question about the oranges. He glanced down at the fruits then crouched down to pick them up, examining them.

“I am also in favour of oranges over ducks. What about you?” He turned his gaze to the last of their group, Angelique.

Action: Choosing left, examining the oranges

Middle Route

@Elana Jangleton, Luka Volkov (iNPC @Kazuo Shimada), @Howard White, @Bloom Silverton

While the group took a moment to discuss, still determined to remain together, it seemed that they had come to a consensus that there were some weird things within the maze.The quacking seemed to be a bit disconcerting to some of the group while the orange, less so. How unfortunate… But, Howard was quickly stepping up as a bit of a leader as he laid out a solid plan for the group to take the left path. There seemed to be no complaints from the group. It seemed that no one wanted to play with the ducks!

Turning to the left, the group pressed forward while Luka took a moment to examine the orange that was sitting on the ground in the path. He reached down and scooped up the orange to examine it...a mistake. The moment Luka touched the orange it duplicated. And then duplicated again as it landed on his foot. Before he could react, there were more and more oranges duplicating from the cursed one being held. But that wasn’t it. The moment it was lifted, there was a now familiar rumbling as the path behind them violently pulled itself closed, leaving Angélique alone on the other side.

The new wall of hedges behind them suddenly began to rumble forward after the group. It was slow moving but continuous. Howard and Bloom would lead the group forward but they would come face to face with a dead end. Trapped on both sides, with Luka holding a duplicating orange seemed a bit dire. But the approaching wall suddenly began randomly launching oranges out of the deep green wall. With considerable speed, they would fly across the slowly closing corridor and chamber. Elena and Luka seemed to have some quick reflexes and were able to dodge the oranges as they flew but Bloom and Howard were not so lucky. Howard was smacked in the forehead with one of the oranges while Bloom took a couple of hits from the side.

Just like the orange that Luka was holding, these would begin to rapidly duplicate when they touched the students. With the walls closing, the students now had to also contend with a slowly rising pool of oranges.

Available Directions: Group is trapped on all sides

Reducio

No Posts

Hui Ming - Available Directions: Turn Left, Continue Forward or Turn Back
Angélique de Clairmont (iNPC @Santario Martin) - Available Directions: Right (the Left path closed)

How to Navigate the Maze

1. Each round you can choose an available direction to travel or to take a different action.
2. Each moderation will list the available directions for each student.
3. You can choose to stay as a group or wander off on your own. But if you are alone...beware of the orange.
4. Depending on the paths chosen, you may encounter challenges or changes within the maze.
5. Stats will be used in this tread and thus you will need to ensure they are in your trunk.
6. There will be a moderation post at least once a week. Quicker moderations will be done if all active participants have replied.
7. If a participant misses two weeks of moderation, it will be assumed they decided to take a nap and will be removed from the maze for their safety!
8. As always...clothing will be required in this thread!

In hindsight, this had been a mistake. A very terrible mistake at that as the brunette who kept watching the rear watched as the path closed behind them just as the maze entrance had done blinking a few times. "Uh, guys?" She said out loud letting the comment linger in the air before continuing on. "We have a problem." She would elaborate nodding at the newly-produced wall which now had them entrapped with no way forward or back or to the sides even. They were sort of in a cube with the hedge closing on them and if they didn't do something fast, Elena was certain they were about to be crushed by some bushes, not a very honorable way to go if you asked her really. The walls and being trapped wasn't the only thing all of them would have to worry about.

Something flew past her and then again and a third time after that before she realized the group was being pelted with oranges of all things. "What in the name of Godric.." Elena muttered crouching to make herself a smaller target and although thankfully, she had gotten lucky, she couldnt' say the same for Bloom and the other boy who had gotten the worser part of the deal. Elena was opting not to get hit with fruit of all things and for all she knew, it could have been part of a more sinister plot. Either the groundskeeper had a very amusing sense of humor or they were in over their heads. "Maybe the ducks would have been the better option." Elena said wryly tilting her head to the side as an orange went hurtling past keen on destroying anything in it's past. It sort of reminded her of bludgers but bludgers hit a lot harder and did a lot more damage as she finally decided they did not need to deal with a second nusiance while also having to navigate the problem of the advancing hedge which was sure to crush them if they didn't act.

Moving quickly, she rose from her crouching postion drawing a wand movement in the air shouting an incantation as if hoping if she yelled it, it would have more of an effect. "PLUVIA VELO!" The umbrella charm, perhaps not the first thought that would have crossed anyone's mind. You would have thought the Gryffindor would have opted for a Shield Charm or something to shield them from the onslaught of the oranges but Gryffindors were not known for their wisdom. They were however known for their heroism and courage, a feat Elena displayed in this stance. If the spell would be successfull, she would step forward opening her newly-produced umbrella holding it straight out so that any potential flying oranges that would come towards them would hit the umbrella's fabric. "Try to get behind it, bunch up." She would instruct to the others, if all of them could fit behind the umbrella using it as a shield while they figured out a way to get out of here, that would be one less nusiance they would have to worry about.

Interaction: @Bloom Silverton | @Elena Jangleton | @Kazuo Shimada as Luka

So far things were going pretty well. They had been able to keep moving and although they had no idea if they were getting any closer to the end, if that was even the goal, they had mostly been able to keep together and make decisions as a group. Even if it was a bit out of character for Howard, he had kind of stepped up as a leader. Perhaps it was the shifting tides of change within the young man that propelled him towards the role? Or maybe he carried more Hufflepuff traits than some might think as he looked to carry the younger students through the challenge? Either way the group would decide to veer away from the evil quack noises and down the left path.

It would turn out that leadership was stupid. What a terrible decision it was to throw his hat in with all the others. He should have just run off with the pretty girl and be done with it all, but no, he chose to be a team player for the first time since forever! The path that presented citrus as their only obstacle would quickly turn disastrous as Luka touched the fruit. In rapid succession the fruit would being to multiply as the hedge walls began to squeeze in around them! "Shit! Yeah, you could say that..." Howard began to reply to Elena, but his words would be cut short as he was blasted by an orange. "Ow! Damnit!" The killer citrus didn't take him out of the running, but it didn't feel great nonetheless. "Stop touching them!" It was an impossible demand as the oranges began to pile around them.

Howard would move closer to Elena as she attempted to cast the Umbrella Charm, his long fingers grasping Bloom's wrist to pull her along with him unless she pulled away. "What should we do?" He asked her and the group, his voice stern but not quite panicked as the adrenaline demanded action. There would be no muscling his way out of this one so he drew his wand. "I don't know if this'll work." It was clear the oranges had been charmed in some kind of way, but Howard was kind of a lousy student. Do the anti-magic...magic? He became increasingly unsure of himself. Screw it! "Finite Incantatem! He aimed at the duplicating pile of oranges nearest him.

Action: Casting the General Counter Spell at some oranges.

Interacting with: @Howard White, @Elena Jangleton & iNPC Luka Volkov (@Kazuo Shimada)

Bloom followed the group, walking towards the path where the oranges were waiting for them. She watched as the blonde-haired boy picked up the oranges and examined them. They seemed normal and fine... Well... For a minute until all of a sudden they began to multiply in numbers. Bloom could only stare in shock at all of the oranges that were now multiplying and attacking them.

Immediately, she felt a tug from her wrist and followed suit to Howard who pulled her into him and Elena. She had done what she remembered to be the umbrella charm while he tried to stop the spell as a whole. Bloom had to think of something to help. She looked at her wand in her left hand and tried hard, thinking of past spells. She then remembered one spell that the wand movement looked like a icy-topped mountain. Bloom, caught the right grip and shouted the following incantation for the freezing charm.

"Immobulus!" she said, doing as best she could to get the spell right. If the spell couldn't be stopped or blocked, at least freezing it, or slowing it down, would do the trick, thought Bloom. It could, perhaps, freeze the spell from multiplying. And in turn, it would be enough time for them to get out.

That is... if there was a way out.

"We need to figure out how to get out of here. There's no way out and I'm pretty sure the walls are closing in slowly," she said, observing the shift in the size of the area. It was definitely getting smaller.

ACTION: Casting Immobulus, the Freezing Charm, at the multiplying oranges

Interacting: -
Mentioning: -

English | Mandarin | French | Quotes

Action: Listening to the music. Turning back.

The bespectacled Chinese boy approached the music warily, expecting some manner of exuberant student to have given in to temptation. As he approached the source of the music, the playing got louder and clearer, and the Chinese boy was able to make out more of the composition..

Down the twisting trail among the hedge growths and into the mouth of the maze he went, even as a frown starter to mar his facial features. He was hardly a music connoisseur, he had very little talent in the music and even less interest in honing it. But even someone such as him could identify that something about the playing was... o f f.

He could not put a finger on exactly what it was, but something about the tune set him on edge; there were goosebumps on his skin. Not that that stopped him from going towards the music all the same.

As he rounded the final corner though, he realized that his previous assumption about it being an enthusiastic student driven to inspiration by the maze had been wrong. In the dead end of the maze was a singular boot, dancing to the tunes of a floating violin. . . . or was that a viola?

For some time Ming just stood there, unsure what to do. It was the same piece, playing on repeat by what gave every appearance to be enchanted items. It was still disconcerting at times, how certain things that he had thought would be impossible were now mundane. A part of him wondered if the enchanter of the viola even knew how to play the piece, or if it magic enabled tunes that were beyond the knowledge of the caster.

Seconds ticked by into minutes, as the piece came to an end a second time. Perhaps he should get back to the task of the maze? These items seemed harmless enough.

"Well, have a good day, you two." The Chinese boy said almost absently as he turned around to return to the business of the maze. "And. If you're taking requests, do play Hungarian Dance #5."

Middle Route

@Elana Jangleton, @Howard White, @Bloom Silverton

With walls closing in, things were quickly becoming more dire and the oranges showed no sign of relenting. Every second the approaching hedge seemed to launch another batch of oranges at the group to dodge. Thinking fast, Elena cast the Umbrella charm to give the group a bit of defense against the onslaught of oranges. Unfortunately, the spell is effective against rain and clearly less effective against oranges that sailed easily through the magical energy and continued to hit each of the students. With the wall getting closer, they would not be able to effectively dodge the speedy oranges.

Also working to help stop the oranges’ perpetual duplication, Howard would cast Finite Incantatem. It was clear that the students were doing what they could to stop the oranges. Unfortunately for Howard, it seemed that whatever curse was on the oranges would not be dispelled by the General Counter Spell. Likely it was a curse that only the original caster could stop. So they continued to duplicate. The entire floor was now a very slowly rising pool of oranges. Bloom would find similar luck with the Freezing Charm. It did halt several oranges mid air but would not stop the oranges from duplicating.

But Bloom’s calls to find a way out were valid. With each passing second, the wall was closing in and it would not be long before the shrinking chamber was no more. The back wall remained stationary and unmoving. Perhaps there would be a way through it but they would need to work fast if they did not want to become part of the maze.



Available Directions: Group is trapped on all sides

Southern Route

@Hui Ming

After conducting a short investigation on the violin or possible floating viola, Hui made a slight request for a different tune but the violin seemed to just continue playing its own horrible tune. It was definitely worth a try, however. But the boy would offer a quick farewell before heading back the way he came. Perhaps missing something that was hiding in the room.

Back at the crossroads, there was the path that arched left, shrouded by fog but looking no different otherwise. Or the student could go back to the violin and boot that were still distantly playing their music. The choice rested with them...

Available Directions: Turn Left, Return to the Violin and Boot or Turn Back

How to Navigate the Maze

1. Each round you can choose an available direction to travel or to take a different action.
2. Each moderation will list the available directions for each student.
3. You can choose to stay as a group or wander off on your own. But if you are alone...beware of the orange.
4. Depending on the paths chosen, you may encounter challenges or changes within the maze.
5. Stats will be used in this tread and thus you will need to ensure they are in your trunk.
6. There will be a moderation post at least once a week. Quicker moderations will be done if all active participants have replied.
7. If a participant misses two weeks of moderation, it will be assumed they decided to take a nap and will be removed from the maze for their safety!
8. As always...clothing will be required in this thread!

@Elena Jangleton | @Bloom Silverton

Howard and Bloom would bunch up close to Elena, but it appeared her charm would have no effect against the duplicating citrus. Stupid Magic! Bloom would try her spell. It made sense. Freeze the oranges and surely they would stop their onslaught, but no, they were slowed but still they duplicated. Stupid magic! Howard took his turn. The best spell ever! Use magic to stop magic! No such luck! Still the oranges would continue to pile up around them. STUPID MAGIC! Howard shoved his wand back into his robes. "The spells won't work!" He shouted the obvious.

His red eyes would bounce around as he weighed the options. The walls of the maze were still inching forward as the fruit continued to pile up around them. Adrenaline coursed through him as a touch of panic twinged up his spine. The claustrophobia kicked in as their bodies pressed together and everything was closing in around them. Howard took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Standing here was only going to see them buried. It was time for action!"Screw this! We just gotta go!" The Dhampir shouted to the two comrades he had left. "Grab the back of my robe! Push as hard as you can! LET"S GO!!" Hopefully the others would follow suit. Spinning back towards the way they came Howard would do his best to muscle his way back through the wall of the hedge.

Action: Try to claw his way back through the hedge wall in the direction the originally came from. Dragging the others if they successfully join him.

Her genius plan which Elena had thought a brilliant defense turned out not to be as intelligent or useful as she had orginally planned. The brunette watched rather in disbelief as the orange projectiles simple disregarded the umbrella barrier sailing right through it giving the whole group of them a few solid thwacks. "But- what?! How?!" The Gryffindor sputtered out giving the umbrella a good shake, clearly, she had not accounted for this ducking as another went hurtling over her head. Bloom and Howard tried some other counter-measures but to no avail, they were sure to be drowning in oranges soon if they didn't think of something soon. Surely, there was some way out but that was bound to be diffcult when you were being pelted from all directions.

"So..uh..do we have a Plan B?" Howard came to the rescue with that quite literally as they came to the realization that for some god given reason, magic would provide them with no use. Heeding the boy's instructions, she grabbed a fistful of his robes hanging on as in a display of bravado and strength, the brunettte watched in sheer awe as he attempted to pummel his way through the maze walls. If there was no exit, they would just have to make one and that was a philsophy that Elena could agree with one hundred percent. Their wands were basically pointless now as she stuffed it into her robes mustering up all of her energy to aid Howard as best as they could pushing to increase the pressure on the walls.

Hopefully, this would result in the wall caving under the boy's onslaught and tearing open a new exit for them. She just wanted the oranges to be done with, there were far too many to count which was the major concern. All three of them were quite literally going to be crushed by a sea of oranges and for some apparent reason, these objects were immune to whatever sort of magic you threw at them. That confirmed in her mind two things, these were not your average oranges or they had some sort of enchantments placed on them. Whatever the case, it was hardly the thing that was worrying her as long as made it out of here tightening her grip hoping not to stumble and fall. The last thing she needed was to be cut off from the others in this rain of oranges, she was nowhere near strong enough to tear through a wall like Howard and magic wouldn't help her. Their strength lay in one another and if even that was taken from them, she wasn't sure the outcome would be a very positive one.

Middle Route

@Elena Jangleton, @Howard White

Oranges! More Oranges! Every second that passed….MORE ORANGES. There was no avoiding them any more, the walls were too close and getting closer. Any longer and the small band of students would be devoured by the moving hedge. But Howard was determined to not be eaten by a plant! Now it did seem that he forgot he was a wizard with spells that might be able to cut or blast a hole, but, acting like a muggle, Howard would begin clawing his way through the thick hedge.

What initially seemed like an absurd plan actually began to have some luck. Pulling from what strength he had, Howard was able to rip his way through the hedge with a heroic fervor. Latched onto him like a backpack, Elena was pulled through the temporary gap with Howard and the two would come crashing to the ground outside of the orange filled chamber. The hole Howard had torn open quickly snapped closed, leaving Bloom as the last remaining member within the chamber of oranges.

At least Elena and Howard would have a second to breathe. But they would quickly realize that they were in an unfamiliar part of the ever shifting maze. It was growing darker but they would be able to see a path in front of them. The hedges of the path curled over in an arching roof to make a pitch black tunnel for them to travel through. There were no sounds, no curious scents and no messages. Only the dark tunnel ahead...

Available Directions: Forward through the Dark Tunnel

Reducio

Southern Route

@Hui Ming Did not post

After conducting a short investigation on the violin or possible floating viola, Hui made a slight request for a different tune but the violin seemed to just continue playing its own horrible tune. It was definitely worth a try, however. But the boy would offer a quick farewell before heading back the way he came. Perhaps missing something that was hiding in the room.

Back at the crossroads, there was the path that arched left, shrouded by fog but looking no different otherwise. Or the student could go back to the violin and boot that were still distantly playing their music. The choice rested with them...

Available Directions: Turn Left, Return to the Violin and Boot or Turn Back

Reducio

@Bloom Silverton - Stuck in the chamber of oranges (last round to find a way out)

How to Navigate the Maze

1. Each round you can choose an available direction to travel or to take a different action.
2. Each moderation will list the available directions for each student.
3. You can choose to stay as a group or wander off on your own. But if you are alone...beware of the orange.
4. Depending on the paths chosen, you may encounter challenges or changes within the maze.
5. Stats will be used in this tread and thus you will need to ensure they are in your trunk.
6. There will be a moderation post at least once a week. Quicker moderations will be done if all active participants have replied.
7. If a participant misses two weeks of moderation, it will be assumed they decided to take a nap and will be removed from the maze for their safety!
8. As always...clothing will be required in this thread!