bermuda....? ♔ and it will take you to fears you never knew

[behindcloseddoors]

♬ Vessel - Zola Jesus

WHO || Stiles, Fiona, Astrid, Lila, Drax, Snow, Phineas
WHAT || A wish goes awry and the team finds themselves lost in a world of shadow...
WHERE ||Maybe Bermuda. But not.
WHEN || April 14th, 2015 [backdated].
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

It started as a simple enough mission.  Travel to a remote area in Russia where an entire town had fallen from the Shadow World years ago and remained largely entrenched in the culture of that world, to check on a Russian woman who had married the local baron for her parents, who had stopped hearing from her.  The woman had expressed paranoia about her husband's behavior, and upon investigation, the party discovered why: Anya's husband, Stepan, harbored a dangerous secret that threatened not only his family, but the entire town.  Years ago, he made a dark deal with an entity who lived inside a family heirloom called a Midnight Mirror - an artifact of Loviatar used as a magical prison to punish those who offended the goddess.  Agreeing to let this entity take over his body for a year every decade, the shadowy figure helped Stepan to trap his own brothers in the mirror and take over the baronry for himself.  His marriage and the subsequent birth of his child, however, made him change his mind about following through on the next swap, and the shadowy being, angry at him for reneging on his deal, released a plague upon the local town called tallowthroat, a horrible disease wherein shadows birthed out of the inflicted's throats.  

Stepan convinced the heroes to enter the Mirror and destroy the heart of it, ending the threat to the town and freeing him of the deal once and for all.  After a fierce battle against the horrible form the Heart had taken, the Shadow Manor began to collapse, taking with it their only escape route.  Trapped and uncertain what would happen to them if they were there when the entire Manor fell apart, they made a wish on Fiona the genie, to escape to Bermuda.

Where they found themselves seems to be the beach - but they are also in a world still drained of color - trapped somewhere, perhaps, on the Shadow Plane, with no known way to return home.

Comments

[bittersweeter]

You could use your words, Drax. [ lila strides forward and clears her throat to get the man's attention, excalibur behind her back so she appears unarmed. ] Excuse me.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ the dark paladin turns his scarred visage to face them, raising his eyes up towards them with a malevolent gaze, hand clutching the hilt of his blade. ] Who dares to enter unbidden to the realm of Despayr?

[bittersweeter]

[ nailed it. lila's gaze is unwavering, choosing to ignore the inherent threat of holding his blade. ]

Unintentional, I assure you. We're only looking for a way out of Shadow, we don't intend to trespass longer than we have to. [ her mismatched eyes cool and firm, and while she makes no move to mask the fact that she doesn't want to be here if she can help it, there is nothing in her tone to suggest ill intent or recognition of despayr. (diplomacy 64, bluff 68) ]

[behindcloseddoors]

[ his own eyes narrow as he looks them over, taking in what is definitely to him their strange garb ] All portals that lead to the Black Rift are guarded by Shar's chosen allies. There are none who can find themselves here unless it is by design, and I am familiar with all those who have leave to pass through these portals.

You would do well to turn back now, and return from whence you came. You will find no help here. Only Despayr.

[pathology]

Okay, you have to clarify, when you say Despayr do you mean like, the dude, or the general emotion...?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ SQUINT ] I mean that only your death awaits you if you remain.

[pathology]

[IT WAS A FAIR QUESTION OK DON'T BE A JUDGY HO.] Well, our death awaited us back at murder house, too, so it's not like we're being overwhelmed with options here.

[bittersweeter]

She makes a valid point.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ there's the rushing metallic noise of a sword being drawn from its sheath, but at least he's not charging up there to kill them yet. ] Turn back. Or die. I will suffer no more of this intrusion upon my communion with the goddess.

[bittersweeter]

[ again lila lifts a placating hand like whoa nelly let's rein in the stabby train until someone more stab-able (see: drax) is in front of you. her lips lift in a hope, ingratiating smile, aiming to ~dazzle him so she can charm him after. (dazzle check 24; dc 23) ]

We weren't intending to interrupt anything, least of all your communion. [ where are the little wavers tho? ] We're only looking for a way home. Perhaps you could help us and we'll get out of your hair even sooner? It's a win-win for both parties, really.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ well, he only got a 9, his attention riveting onto lila, fuck the rest of y'all inferior bitches. ] I cannot abandon my duties to the goddess, Lady. You will find no paths that lead from this world here, save through those portals from whence you came.

[bittersweeter]

[ yaaaaaaas bitches. #FLAWLESS #DRAGONSTONGUE #QUEEN lila rewards him with a smile. good knight dude thing. ]

What are your duties?

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he straightens up with pride evident in his posture. ] To serve Despayr, and oversee leadership of the Rift on his behalf, that he might concentrate on his dread works. And to prevent any outsiders from interfering.

[bittersweeter]

[ she takes a small step forward, fingers drumming against her scar. you ain't the only one with marks, boo. ]

You must be very powerful, to be entrusted with such a vital and important job.

[behindcloseddoors]

[ they're still positioned above him on the walkway, but it slopes down to the area where he stands below them. i assume she's taking a step down the ramp. ] The Mistress of the Night herself has granted me great power, more than the Maimed God ever could, when I was the one blinded and answered to his weak commands.

[bittersweeter]

[ yes, down the ramp bit by bit. idk if knowledge: religion 18 is enough to recognize tyr? but in any case she's mostly like wow all y'all fucks need to come up with better titles. her mouth curves into a thoughtful frown. ]

He must have envied you and withheld his gifts so you wouldn't surpass him. Your mistress must be very devoted to you, to give you such power. We heard at the Monastery that you had a secret Book of the Black. They seemed to think it was a myth. [ she tuts, like peasants. ] But if anyone would know the truth... it would be you. I mean, you oversee so much...

[behindcloseddoors]

[ he scowls a little bit at the mention ] I told those prying fools I know not what they speak of. Whatever lies they chose to tell are not my doing.

[bittersweeter]

[ gdi useless fucker. regardless, lila lets her shoulders fall like she's disappointed. ] Probably everything they told us of Despayr is lies as well...

[ it's obviously leading, questioning the truth about despayr without actually asking. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

They can never understand the magnitude of his glory. [ SCOWL ] I am not surprised to hear that they would speak treason. They will be dealt with when we have no further need of them. Perhaps sooner, given they have let trespassers enter this far.

Now, dally no longer, and return from whence you came.

[bittersweeter]

[ at a loss for what else, if anything, to ask him, lila nods. as she starts to turn back to the rest of the group, she pauses, fingers tugging at her lip. ]

Before we go, what's your name? I'd like to know the identity of the Mistress of the Night's chosen... knight.

[ just in case his name came up in what's-her-face's letter or phineas' cryptic message. ]

[behindcloseddoors]

You address Malkarion, paladin of Shar.

[bittersweeter]

Cool. I'm Lila. Thanks for your help, Malkarion. See you again probably never. [ and she'll just turn back to the group now, lowering her voice so he won't overhear her hushed words. ] I got nothing. He's totally going to kill us if we try to keep going and this is definitely not the portal home.

[spinerip]

Then we shall kill him first!

[....someone should probably stop him from charging forward.]

[bittersweeter]

[ yeah, it ain't gonna be lila. she just steps out of the way. she's not going to stop drax, but she's also not going to fight this guy for no reason. you do you, drax. good luck. ]

[killingtodeath]

Drax, hang on... Down, boy. [Stiles jumps in front of him and holds a hand out (diplomacy 41 to keep him from barreling through him hopefully...)]

We need to think this one through.