The Living Labyrinth

[Orbiting]

When you awaken, it is still dark. You feel odd, and the oddness is not dispelled when you notice that you have been sleeping on hard ground rather than in your soft bed... You stand and stretch. There is a slight ringing in your ears and your head feels heavy. You hear people moving in the dark around you...

Suddenly, a voice rings out - you turn - it seems to be everywhere at once.

"Welcome, Players!"

Players?? Then you remember... an invitation in an e-mail... an invitation to beta-test a new game, the Living Labyrinth... a click of the mouse, then a bright blue crackling light.

As you contemplate your situation, the lights come up. You are in a large room with six other "people". Next to you, on the stone floor, is a bedroll, a backpack, and various weapons and equipment. In the center of the room is a fountain with two statues standing next to it, one on either side, each dipping a hand in the water.
In the north wall of the room are three arches hung with heavy drapery. In the south wall are three painted wooden doors.

As you look around, a red-haired woman in a blue labcoat steps from around the fountain. She holds a clipboard and a pen. She smiles widely at you, and begins to make notes on the clipboard, talking as she writes. "Ah ha - here we are then. Thank you for agreeing to come out and test the game, I'm sure it'll be very entertaining for everyone... Let me just check you off here... SaberKitty, Mudster, Werebear, Neo, Pikachamp, Dread Pirate Westley, and Dethwing... Yes yes, very good."

"Now, each of you has been given an avatar, and each of you has certain gifts. I suggest that you all work together - there are a lot of, well, a lot of things in here, and you'll probably need all the help you can get. But I'm sure you'll do just fine. Not like the alpha test group. Oh, did I say that? Well, nevermind, nevermind." She giggles nervously.

"Anyways, good luck to you, and I'll meet you again at the exit, I'm sure." She flickers a bit, and then fades from view.

Now thoroughly confused, you look around again. You notice that the three arches in the north wall are hung with different color draperies - from left to right, they are green, maroon, and blue, respectively. The doors in the south wall are painted copper, silver, and gold, from left to right. You are in a room with six other people, six exits, and a fountain with statuary.

What do you do?

[dethwing]

I try all the doors to see if they are locked.

[Orbiting]

And in fact all three doors are locked.

[pikachamp]

*takes a drink*
*accidently causes water to fill with electricity*

[Ghost Post]

I'll search the draperies. With caution.

[pikachamp]

*looks through each of the draperies*

[Neo]

I cautiously investigate the draperies to see if they cover anything.

[Orbiting]

You are able to pull aside each of the draperies with ease.
Behind the left (green) drapery, there is a short hall that turns to the left.
Behind the maroon (middle) drapery, there is a long hall that leads straight forward - this hall is dimly lit at the far end and you cannot see how far it goes.
Behind the blue (right) drapery is a short hall that turns to the right.

All three draperies smell of chemicals, as if they've just been cleaned.

[dethwing]

While the three of them investigate the draperies, I examine the two statues.

[Orbiting]

The statues appear to be carved from a bluish crystalline material. The left statue depicts a middle aged man in clerical robes. In his left hand, he holds a flask. His right hand brakes the surface of the water in the fountain. The right statue depicts a beautiful elven man in fancy dress. His back is to the fountain. Strapped on his back is a lute. He holds a short sword in his right hand, and his left hand reaches down into the bowl of the fountain, just touching the water's surface.

[pikachamp]

*fills flask in fountain*

[dethwing]

Well, fellow adventureres, i see three choices for us.
We could all go down one hallway, split up into two groups, and go down two hallways, or three groups and go down all the hallways. I personaly vote for two groups.

[pikachamp]

vote: stay together

[Neo]

Not just yet. There is something we don't see.

Why doesn't somebody take a closer look at the fountain? I'll go make a closer examination of the doors.

[Orbiting]

The people searching the draperies hear a loud *ching* sound behind them and turn. Dethy, searching the statues, looks up to see an expression of horror creep over the features of Pikachamp, who has dipped his hand in the water to fill his flask. As you watch, Pikachamp crystallizes slowly.

Now you are in a room with three arches, three doors, a fountain, and *three* statues.

Pika has been turned to stone.

[Neo]

The draperies smell as if they'd just been cleaned. And the woman let something slip about an alpha test group that sounds as if it didn't do well. Perhaps something horrible befell them at the arches?

[Ghost Post]

Uh... Crap?

[Ghost Post]

Tests the water withouth touching the rope. i.e. let a bit of rope (1 feet) drop halfway into the fountain with a bit sticking out.

[Orbiting]

Mudster leans over the fountain and drops a bit of rope in, letting one end of the rope dangle over the fountain's side. As he does this, he looks into the base of the fountain and notices that the bottom of the fountain's bowl is covered with a layer of gems!

His rope crystallizes upon contact with the water.

[dethwing]

I pick up a drape and throw it toward pika but not so that any of it comes in contact with the water, just pika.

[Orbiting]

Dethy attempts to move one of the draperies, but finds it to be firmly attached. Undaunted, he cuts a piece off of the green drapery. He tosses it idly at Pika. The cloth hits Pika, and then falls to the ground in a heap, unchanged.

[Neo]

I carefully examine the expressions and postures of the elf bard and cleric.

[Orbiting]

Neo examines the bard and the cleric. Knowing what you now know about the water, it seems likely that the cleric was preparing to fill his flask from the fountain, just as the unlucky Mr. Pikachamp was. The bard appears to have backed into the water unknowingly. He is in a fighting posture, and may have been using the other hand to steady himself.

[Ghost Post]

I cut the green drape. And wait patiently for Deth to do his stuff first.



[This message has been edited by mudster2 (edited 08-05-2002 12:35 PM).]

[Orbiting]

Mudster holds a heavy green velvet drape. He has a piece of fabric approximately 4 yards long and 60 inches wide.

[Neo]

I use my sword to cut a strip of the drape to use as a blindfold and tie the blindfold around the elf bard's eyes, then step back out of reach of the bard's sword with mine still drawn.

[Neo]

I get ready and hold the sword ready to block any swing the elf may make upon returning to form.

[dethwing]

I cast "mage hand", and attempt to move the water away from the elf's fingers, in an attempt to create a pocket of air for his fingers to be touching.

*casts spell*

[Orbiting]

Dethwing casts Mage Hand at the water. He is able to use the mage hand to push the water away from the fingers of the elf bard, but there is no effect.

[Ghost Post]

checks the fountain for any inscription

[Orbiting]

Around the base of the fountain is written "Strange Travel Suggestions Are Dancing Lessons From God".

[Ghost Post]

Uses search/spot skill to detect for traps on the south east/gold door. If there are traps, then I will attempt to disable it. If not, I'll attempt to check again (just in case). After the second try, I'll try to pick the lock.

[Orbiting]

Mudster checks the gold door for traps, and finds nothing. Just to be safe, he checks again, with the same result. He breathes a sigh of relief, and sets to trying to pick the lock. The lock on this door is very complex, and he suspects that while it is not above his skill, it may take longer than he wants to spend on it.

[dethwing]

I write in my journal a small note that i tear out, and leave on DPW's face:

Pika is stone. Two statues were once people. Don't touch the water. Mud took a drape. We went down the middle hallway. Doors are locked but not trapped.

[Neo]

I gather my belongings and prepare to travel down the middle hallway

[dethwing]

I do the same.

[Ghost Post]

The 3 of us moves along the middle corridor. I will be checking for traps/hidden anything all the time. Formation triangular with myself as lead.

[Orbiting]

Mudster, Dethy and Neo move down the middle hallway. They notice tapestries hung on either side - each is a scene from a gladiatorial battle, from the intial encounter to the final victory of one gladiator. The last tapestry on the right depicts the victor being handed something by a noble lady.

At the end of the hallway is a gate, constructed of the bones of a large animal. Through the gate you can see a flat expanse of red clay - the floor of an arena.

[Werebear]

Hmmm. Did the statue touch the water while filling his flask, or was the flask touching it enough to get him stoned? Some of this water might be valuable. Is the lute still any good? Can I get it without touching the water? (if yes, I might try, using curtain as a hot pot holder)

Werebear

[Werebear]

*considers the 'soften earth and stone' spell on Pika*

Werebear