CHAPTER THREE ♔ in an isolated system the entropy can only increase

[goodbyecaroline]

♬ the device has been modified - victims of science

WHO || Gold, Faye, Emma, Mars, Astrid, GLaDOS
WHAT ||  The Knights become unwitting test subjects for a psychotic AI  
WHERE || Luckman Industries computer-aided enrichment center, Germany
WHEN || May 31st/June 1st [backdated]
HOW || Actionspam. Single thread.

Why Wynn ever thinks there will be such a thing as a 'simple recon mission' we just don't know.  

Several Knights were dispatched to a small isolated town in Germany where magic was rumored to not function, only to discover that the situation was a bit more complicated.  Yes, magic didn't function when attempted - sometimes.  But other times it had bizarre and dangerous side effects, including driving townspeople insane.  

Research led the team to a company called Luckman Industries who had bought digging rights to make a large quarry beneath the town, but further investigation revealed that they had actually constructed a massive underground laboratory instead.  Some sort of strange device stood at the center of it, magical in nature, but when they attempted to leave, they found the doors locked, and were forced into trying magic despite the potential side effects.

The spell seems to have attracted the attention of something within the building itself - a disembodied voice that's offered them a (mostly) pleasant greeting - to the Luckman Industries computer-aided enrichment center.

There will be cake.

Comments

[charismapotion]

[ Too bad their all invisible, they cant see the dorky fist pump he just did. Cause that was awesome. Still waits, waiting seemed wise give the others time to get through while their invisible. counting to twenty mentally before he started to go to the hole in the ice.]

[pathology]

I've got it! [she whines, but doesn't really jerk away from emma because it's ... less risk of bumping into her that way, i guess. invisible party problems.]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ hooray! you made it through the hole in the ice wall!

to be greeted by

a second ice wall

:) ]

[undealt]

[I hope Gold's second burning arc works, because there's something insanely hilarious about AWKWARD SILENCE AWKWARD SILENCE SUDDEN WALL OF FIRE.

But if it doesn't know that he is pissed the fuck off, even if you can't see him.]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ more fire leaps out of... thin air since gold is invisible, and sizzles a larger hole through the second wall.

guess what's waiting a few feet further down... ]

[uncurse]

[ emma goes right on through the next hole and— ] Oh, come on!

[ emma pounds her fist on the ice wall with no real intent to break it, then steps back to try casting magic missile. if it works, 2 missiles each for 4 damage. ]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ i can't make this up. out of all the fucking odds against, emma... hears everyone's thoughts again. for a little bit longer this time, about twenty seconds. neither missile manifests. ]

[reallywicked]

How many more of these are there?! [officially done with this bullshit and casting Flaming Sphere in hopes of plowing through multiple walls??? 11 damage as it rolls... if it rolls... if it casts. sob.]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ the sphere manifests, rolling against the wall, and melting a good portion of it. but not enough to make a complete hole. ]

[reallywicked]

Seriously? [Faye's pretty stoked that most of her spells are working (so far) but she's getting more and more frustrated. So now there's a big sphere just hanging out in front of the ice wall, burning away (three more rounds of damage: 7, 4, 5)

[goodbyecaroline]

[ melting... melting... and melted. success! of course, they still can't see each other, so there's that. but the door lies open just beyond. ]

Well. What do you know. You completed an exercise designed for those of kindergarten-age intelligence without murdering one another.

I suppose that means we can elevate the testing level to accommodate your progress. Please proceed to the next chamber in an orderly, invisible fashion.

[charismapotion]

[ Mars' is thinking these people have some awesome fire spells. Because, they do. Like before he mentally counts so he can follow through last.]

[pathology]

[she goes forward like fuck this shit and tries her best not to backsass the computer. because the last time she did that SHE ALMOST DIED.]

[reallywicked]

[BRING ON THE NEXT TEST. Also can someone make them visible jfc.]

We may need to start playing Marco Polo.

[Not helping, Faye]

[undealt]

It will wear off eventually. [Dreary sigh.] Until the next bit of fresh hell, anyway.

[uncurse]

Seriously? Four sorcerers, and not one of us knows how to turn this off?

[ ridiculous. she is hiking forward to the next task. ]

[goodbyecaroline]

[ they head into the room labeled 03, and find themselves standing at the base of a very steep platform that rises thirty feet over their heads. on top of the platform is a door, and a big old red button. the floor at the base of the platform appears to be a panel that has blue lights around its four sides, with standing room for two people. another large red button is on the wall next to them. ]

This next test rewards the basic concepts of teamwork. You must work together to decide who will be left behind at this conclusion of this test.

[pathology]

[it's too bad they're all invisible bc astrid puts her finger on her nose like NOT IT NOT ME NOPE.]

[uncurse]

All right.

[ she paces forward, hands on her ... invisible hips. ]

It's only gonna keep getting worse. If anybody wants out, now's the time to say so. We're not gonna leave you here when we get out.

[charismapotion]

I'll do it. [ Mars spoke up his voice a bit Shakey. he's the newbie, expandable.]

It's not wanting out, more an feeling I need to be the one on this side. Go on.

[reallywicked]

No, shut up. There's a way we all go. There has to be. [because otherwise this is going to quickly turn into eenie meenie miney OH GOD FIERY DEATH. And Faye is not down.]

[uncurse]

All refusing to play by the rules is gonna do is get us all stuck. We can't come back and get him if we're all trapped in here too.

[reallywicked]

What if that's the game? Figure out a way around it? Because if we leave him here? He could die. And I'm pretty sure a cleric doesn't know how to wave a magic wand to bring you back to life when you're a pile of ash.

[pathology]

[she sighs and explains the game as ... she's analyzed in her head it to them. (wis 20 total)] We have to operate the panel to get to the next level. Two go up, then two more, then the last one is stuck because no one's left to push the button for them. Can any of you guys ... I don't know, do telekinesis or teleport or something?

[undealt]

I know one spell that might suffice- assuming it doesn't produce another undesirable effect. [HE HAS MAGE HAND NOW. MAYBE IT CAN BE USED TO PRESS DOWN ON THE BUTTON.]