See No Hear No Speak No - RPLOG
Participants
Date
13/7/478
Log
The door to the House of the Night stands open in its remote alcove, deep under the quarry. There is something. . . Hungry about the open door. It seems somehow more ominous than usual in its crystal lit grotto and it opens into a small antechamber with two doors leading off. One bears the image of a cornucopia, overflowing with fruits and vegetables and the other bears a rather strange image of three wizened monkeys, one covering its eyes, the next covering its ears, and the final covering its mouth.
Cassidy folds her hands behind her back as she appraises the doors, eyes flicking between the two. "I like that one," she says, gesturing towards the door with the monkey trio. "But I suppose Olloch would be waiting for a meeting, too. I always prefer the unknown ones."
Kazel lands directly at the door and starts dusting herself off. The bat is wearing her usual black dyed leather armor and a wide array of weapons are strapped to her. She peeks into the new room and trails her hand over the walls. "Interesting. I say we see what is behind the monkey door, since the other one seems to lead something known already?" She tilts her head, this being the first time she heard of Olloch.
Zuri studies the ever-different room again, departing briefly from the group of beings he is with to peer closely at the door bearing the cornucopia. He licks his lips, then shakes his head as if trying to clear his thoughts. "Mmm.." His gaze follows along to the other door and he skips over, tailtip whipping in curiosity. "Hm! " He exclaims at that door before turning around to face Cassidy. "I dunno, I don't think we should upset Mister Olloch. He's probably watching right now and seeing what we do, you know?"
"Can't say I mind either way," comes a thick, rough voice from behind the group as a corpulent, and well dress boar is suddenly leaning against the doorframe leading back out into the regular world. "I imagine I will watch, no matter which door you take." He folds his flabby arms and waits for the group to make their choice.
Natska moves her shoulders in a small shrug, reflexivity pulling the shadows closer around herself as her hackles rise at the subtle feeling of the House of Night this time. "This is a House of choices and, sometimes, challenges. He can hardly fault us f-" she stops and turns, then smiles and inclines her head. "Good afternoon."
Cassidy glances back towars the boar, then towards Zuri. "They're all watching. No matter what choice we make, they will undoubtedly take note of it." She sets her hands on her hips. "And yes, it's a place of choices. If you always take a choice you feel pressured into, for one reason or another, then it's a bit of a foggy challenge, isn't it?"
Kazel turns around, a hand on her sword and raises an eyebrow. "Olloch, I assume?" The bat looks the boar up and down, not letting her hand slide off the hilt of her sword at any time. She frowns slightly. "Do any of you know him?"
Zuri straightens as he hears Olloch's voice. He peers over in the voice's direction and skips over, getting a good look before smiling. "Hello Mister Olloch!" He peers up at Kazel and nods. "Mister Olloch was kind enough to host a big feast at the Diseased Pig a few days ago, with plenty of incredibly yummy food that had.. uhm.. lots of beings binging and eating and drinking and all that stuff." He nibbles on his lip before adding. "It was pretty nice.."
Olloch, for that is certainly the obese boar's name laughs, sending his fat belly jiggling. "It was my pleasure," he says, "I love to see people enjoying themselves." He waddles past the group to the two doors and places his fat hands on his ample hips. "It's always about choices, you know," he muses aloud, "Whichever door you choose, there is just another choice behind it."
Natska smiles at that and inclines her head. "As it is with almost all things in life." She looks back to Cassidy. "Shall we, love?"
Cassidy nods at Zuri's words, casting a glance to Natska for a moment before reaching up to adjust her top hat. "We ought to make a decision. Since I doubt this will be the last time we're here, I'm curious as to this 'new' spirit, still, but... Well. Whatever we want to do."
Zuri clears his throat. "W-well, we should vote then! And hopefully it won't be a tie again." He giggles. "I think we should visit Mister Olloch's corner of the House of Night. We can always visit.. uh.. whatever that other door is next time! I mean, I'm sure we have lots to learn about Mister Olloch still that couldn't be explained in just the small time we had at the party."
Kazel shrugs. "I am all for the monkeys. Seems interesting." She turns away from Olloch and trails her fingers over the displayed primates. "Not meaning that you are not interesting, Mister Olloch, this just has something mysterious about it, more so than usually."
Natska grins! "Onward, then, to know the unknown." She moves for the monkey door, testing to see if it opens.
"Sounds like the vote is in favour of the monkey door," Cassidy says, offering a tip of her hat towards Olloch. "Next time, perhaps," she assures with a nod before moving after Natska.
The door opens easily, and a cool breeze issues forth from the door. On the other side is another small chamber with a raised dias on the far side where three beings lounge in stone chairs. Before the dais is a table, or possibly an altar draped in red silk with four exquisitely made daggers lying on it. Otherwise, the room is bare, gray stone.
The three stone thrones are occupied by a female figure in a heavy, hooded robe trimmed with fine purple silk and stitched with arcane runes and mathemagical symbols, a creature with the upper body of a young, male Creator and the lower body of a feral goat, and the third throne holds a figure shrouded in simple black robes. All three sit in silence as they wait for the beings to approach.
Zuri offers Olloch a sad smile and a wave. "Sorry Mister Olloch. Maybe next time..." He peers back at the door as it creaks open and hops along to join his companions, his tail sliding across the floor dejectedly.
Natska perks her ears as she makes her way into the room, head tilting as she takes in the triumvirate at the end of the room. She begins approaching, head tilted. "Hello," she greets, bowing her head. "Which room is this?"
Kazel:quickly steps through the door and inspects the room through narrowed eyes, leaving the talking to others for now. Her hand is still resting on the hilt of her sword and she refrains from touching anything for now.
Cassidy glances around the room as she steps in alongside Natska, eyeing the trio. "Well, now this is curious," she murmurs to herself as she steps forward with her wife, nodding her own greeting.
The strange figure lounging on the center throne sighs and looks around at the four beings walking carefully into the room. "How DULL!" he purrs, then pauses and a smirk grows on his face, "Except the little one. That one is good!"
The feminine figure stands and spreads her hands in a gesture of greeting. "Welcome, brave seekers!" she says, her voice soft and whispery, but easily heard, "You stand in the room of Truth and Deciet." She hesitates at a growl from the other hooded figure. "Or perhaps it is the room of Knowledge and Wisdom," she amends, though the smirk in her voice is evident. "Our test is a simple one," she says, "Each of you holds a dark secret in your heart. Olg'Ish has read your hearts and knows the darkness within them." She waves a graceful, black-gloved hand at the strange satyr in the center chair. "You may either reveal your secret to all those here present," she says, carefully taking her seat again, "Or you may stab one of your fellows." She waves at the pedestal of ornate knives. "It is as simple as that."
Kazel tilts her head. "Stab them? Does it matter where? Are the blades poisoned or otherwise irregular?" The bat frowns and picks up one of the daggers, turning it in her hand. "What if we refuse?"
The male figure in black speaks up. His voice is harsh and horrible to listen to. "If you refuse, then you may not leave here alive," he rasps, "The blades are indeed poisoned, and while they may not kill, they will certainly cripple a warrior." The figure points back to where the group entered, revealing that the door is gone. "Time is short," the female figure chimes in, "If you do not choose quickly, the choice will be made for you." That sounds ominous.
Zuri walks into the room after the others, the last one in. He peers up at the three figures with his usual cheerful smile and even offers them a wave before the feminine figure stands and speaks. His smile decidedly fades when she explains what is about to happen. He looks sideways at his three companions, then back at the three figures. He listens to the question, and the answer, hand already trembling. He shrinks away for now, paralyzed by the nature of the request.
Natska raises her eyebrows at the declaration, then looks around. She grins then, and leans in towards Cassidy. "Were we settled with miss Kazel, love?" she murmurs, tone sweet. Then she steps forward, eyes on the cloaked figure. "I am afraid I do not recognize you, sir. May we have your name? And as this is a place of trials, what is the reward for completing this one?"
Cassidy approaches the pedestal, raising a brow. "Give up our secrets, or stab someone... Those are the choices, huh?" She takes up a knife, pondering it and glancing towards the figures. "Why... That sounds fair." Though since they never specified who they had to stab, specifically... She glances towards Natska and nods. "I think so. Besides, I've got something else in mind," she says, advancing on the figures themselves, knife in hand.
Kazel rolls her eyes at Natska. "I have severed hands before they could reach me before, just so you know." The bat makes her way to the three thrones, smiling a bitter sweet smile as she places a hand on the shoulder of the male figure. "You know. We are both kinda dark and have kind of a twisted sense of humor. I can tell that. I might just call you my fellow."
Just before the door vanishes an acrobatic figure quickly dives in in a quick combat roll before standing up, "Whopsee daisy, where has the fool gotten themself into now?" the being, none other than the Jester said in their distinctive jolly tone.
Zuri keeps quiet as he walks around, watching Kazel warily as she walks up towards the thrones. The salamander's right hand trembles as he reaches over to take one of the ceremonial knives, grasping it firmly. The Jester's sing-song entrance draws his attention, the salamander gasping and turning around to face away from the entire group to hide his facial expression of mounting terror.
The central figure starts to laugh at the threatening advances of the beings in the room. "I told you!" he chuckles, "They always want to have their cake and eat it too!" None of the figures seem especially worried, however. In fact, the male figure, despite it's hidden face, seems rather pleased about the direction things are going. The female however, shakes her head. "Rules, darlings," she says, "I would LOVE to tell you my name, but first you must make a choice."
"Of course I do," Cassidy says, shooting a looking towards Kazel for a moment. "Because I play the game by my own rules. I will force it to conform to my whims, when it does not suit me." She pauses, glancing amongst the figures. "But there are... Two of you that I particular don't like. Something about you that sets me on edge..." She looks towards the hooded being, one of the males. And that is her target as she takes her stab.
Natska sighs and rubs her palm against her muzzle, her other arm crossing over her chest. The jaguar pinches at the bridge of her nose then starts to speak up, although Cassidy's lunge steals her attention and her ears fold.
Kazel steps back as Cassidy assaults the male and swiftly turns around to face the goat-man. "So many riddles, so many lies, why would I believe what you say? I only trust one spirit, and none of you are him, vile creatures of corruption and deciet" She narrows her eyes and stabs at the heart of him.
The black hooded figure lets loose a ROAR! Though it seems almost to be a sound of approval, rather than pain. The figure erupts into a cloud of inky fog and suddenly, a long, pale limb lashes out from the cloud, four others erupting out after it, two of them bearing huge maws with thousands of teeth!
The other two Spirits dissolve in a cloudy haze, vanishing as the monster appears. There is just enough time for Kazel to see the condescending, pitying sneer on Olg'ish's face before he vanishes!
The Jester simply cartwheels into the room, standing at its center before turning their gaze towards the group and whatever is happening here, "The Fool seem to have come upon violence, with great conviction. Sure to lead to some friction between friends which might lead to infliction." The Jester sings along as he sees the events unfolding, "But the violent behavior would certainly lead to some rude eviction, that is my prediction." they add before letting out a giggle as the two tendrils come out, "ANd true to my word, time to face such a vile depiction."
Zuri drops the ceremonial knife as the roar echoes out around him. He turns around, stunned to see the creature appear seemingly out of the inky nothingness. He peers around, eyes wide, and with tremblings hands reaches behind his back to retrieve his bow and assume a defensive position.
Cassidy steps back to Natska, keeping the knife firm in her hand after the stabbed thing bursts into a cloud. Reaching up, She adjusts her hat and tightens her white gloves. "Worked out perfectly, don't you think, Natska? We didn't have to stab anyone we like. Or give up secrets. I mean, my secret wasn't even that BAD... I just didn't want to play their game," she comments, watching and waiting to see how the situation unfolds.
The room seems to suddenly expand to make room for the flailing monstrosity developing from the black cloud. The monster has two, fang filled maw on long, pale necks attached to a thick, ugly body the size of an elephant. Three long, thick tails extend behind it which it whips into action against the party. The monster seems to be eyeless, but it moves without hesitation on its twisted, reptillian legs.
Kazel is graced by one of the tentacles, but her armor is thick and padded so she just grins and draws her rapier, pointing it at the tentacled maw, before taking a couple of swings at the tendrils. She grits her teeth, thinking about the female she had to let out of her eyes, but this one is certainly the bigger threat right now.
Natska widens her eyes as she realizes, and she hurriedly sways out of the way of the spirit's attack. "Cass!" she yells. "Vasht. You did exactly what he wanted." As she talks she gathers and thickens the shadows around herself, drawing up her magical power.
The Jester keeps on idly walking during their rhyme when the tentacle comes for them only to be met the Jester sidestepping just at the right moment to avoid the attack, "To hit a fool? An act so cruel. What happened to spirits and their rules? To punish the ignorant for an act someone else committed is certainly not that cool." the Jester adds before looking around and making a show of stifling a yawn, they weren't here at the start but Natska's comment gave them a bit of more vision on the issue at hand.
Cassidy tries to leap over the lashing tail, but it clips her paw and sends her spinning in the air. Reflexively, a hand comes up to keep her hat on, and she lands it gracefully enough, though the motion was enough to disorient her momentarily. "Pity, to think I helped him. Maybe I should make up for it later by using this knife on Kalt. Unless, of course, this attack were to be called off," she ponders out loud, eyeing the beast for any kind of reaction. At least the room was larger now.
Zuri watches the approaching prehensile tail as it sweeps trying to strike at him. Oddly, all that does is shake him out of his reverie, the salamander snapping into action by acrobatically leaping over it as it whips past him. He lands, raises his bow and notches an arrow with his now adrenaline-steadied hands. He aims high, at the 'neck' that holds the creature's mouth, and lets the arrow fly.
The multi-mawed monster is momentarily halted by the combined efforts of Kazel, Natska, and Zuri, drawing in its extended appendages for a second while it tries to recover itself. Dark ichor trickles from a deep cut in one of its tails and around the arrow lodged low on its neck. The beast snaps at a foggy haze that only it can see.
Kazel uses the opportunity to switch her blade for the spear on her back. Armed with the pole weapon, she adjusts her stance before concentrating on some dark math for a moment, that manifests in a wave of draining energy, aimed right at one of the maws of the wild beast.
Zuri quickly draws and notches another arrow. He levels the arrow up, mentally drawing the arc up and back down as he lines up a shot directly at the creature's mouth. Through gritted teeth he pulls the string on his bow to maximum tension, but wavers on actually letting go. "S-stop!" He yells. "There's no need for anyone to die here today! Don't make us do this!"
Cassidy's bluff didn't seem to work! A pity, that. Or perhaps it did, with the way the beast snaps at the air. She has no way to knowing, but she positions herself at Natska's side, knife at the ready and watching to see if Zuri's words have any effect before she joins the battle, herself.
The Jester remained as oblivious to the battle, sauntering slowly while the beast thrashed in agony before stopping at the altar and grabbing one of the ceremonial knives, idly inspecting it as they turned around to look at the beast.
With her amplifying, protective cloak of shadows set up around herself, Natska considers for a moment, then strokes a finger along a gem hanging next to her soul pendant, drawing a set of dark equations from it and fueling them with her will, tearing away at Vasht's pet's vitality.
The monster roars, in rage and pain as it lashes furiously about, long tails whipping toward the heads of the beings in the room. It does not seem like talking is part of the arrangement anymore.
Kazel rolls her shoulders. "Alright. Lets do this." With that the tattoos under her eyes and on her chest start glowing for a moment before vanishing without a trace. A sly smirk appears on the bat's face and her grip on her spear gets stronger. A moment later she is charging the beast with the spear aimed right at its center.
The salamander presses himself flat to the ground as one of those thrashing limbs swings in his direction, narrowly avoiding getting swatted by it. He rises to a kneeling position and retakes his aim, gritting his teeth. "Alright, have it your way then!" He pulls back one arrow and looses it, then quickly notches another arrow, then another, and yet another.. in his rage the salamander is doing away with any accuracy for plain volume of fire.
Natska narrows her eyes as she ducks another wild swing. She mentally runs through her list if equations again, then calls up a spell to try sapping the creature's strength, leaving it's limbs slow and heavy
Cassidy leaps to the air again, this time much higher to avoid the incoming swipe. She comes down right after, aiming to land on its torso to try to embed that poisoned knife into its back, near the base of a neck.
The Jester with a burst of speed manages to avoid all the attacks directed at him, looking around and deciding to instead lean on the altar as the rest finished their work, one can't expect a fool to fight!
The monster flails and snaps, but under the full onslaught of attacks, it does not last, slumping to the ground filled with arrows, a spear and Cassidy's dagger.
"Well," a soft feminine voice says as the hooded figures and the satyr reappear, this time back toward the door, which is back in its place on the wall. "That was rather disappointing, in my book," she says, though the male figure in black manages to exude an air of smug satisfaction. The satyr just rolls his eyes and vanishes, leaving only the hooded figures.
Zuri keeps his last arrow notched as he alternates between aiming at each of the remaining figures, but doesn't let it loose. Instead he stammers out. "We sh-should have gone to see Mister Olloch."
Natska lets out a soft sigh and relaxes, letting her magics dissipate. After a moment she nods her head towards the woman. "How may we make it up? And..." she hesitates a moment. "I have questions, if that is permissible."
Kazel pulls her spear out of the creature and turns to the cloaked figures. "I suggest you do not try any more mind games." She turns to the female, her spear still firmly in her hands. "Now, would you kindly introduce yourself? You have not been terribly good hosts so far."
Cassidy tugs the dagger from the beast and slides off of it, making her way bak towards Natska. "Sorry, but I wasn't about to share my secrets on someone else's terms. Or stab someone I care about," she says, adjusting her hat again as she eyes the woman.
"Whisperer of Truth and Advocate of Deceit." The Jester says in a girlish fashion as they skip and jump towards the hooded figures, "Sitting in the tree...K-I-S-S-I-N-G." The Jester says with a childish giggle as well as they skip in circles around the two hooded figures, "The second is skint and the first if she doesn't stop will run out of ink." they continue before stopping in front of the two, "But both it seems are bond to the same stint."
The female figure waves a hand idly, creating a smoky seat for herself and settling down into it. She reaches up to remove her cowl, only to reveal a rather plain looking being of feline descent. "I am known as the Scholar," she says softly, "And I will gladly answer questions. But you have chosen the path of deceit, darlings, and so I fear that my companion Vasht must be your host today." She gives the gesture and appraising look, and a small smile curls her lips.
The male figure in black steps forward and nods, though he does not remove his hood.
Zuri slowly lets his bow angle down, away from the two figures, and relaxes his vice grip on the arrow that he had notched. He peers up at this.. Vasht spirit. "Scholar, huh? So what was the game for? Was it just some sick curiosity to see how far us beings would go? Or was there an actual point to it?"
Letting her ear flick once, Natska nods her head. She looks over at Cassidy, and then to Vasht, raising her eyebrows. Then she looks to the Scholar and nods again. "I have been wondering if the House of Night would have opened on its own, or if it was there knowledge that something called the House of Night existed that called it to us," she states, figuring she may as well do the big one first.
"Probably to see which ideal we would go with," Cassidy says, looking towards Zuri. "To see if we'd give our secrets openly, turn to deceit, or turn to treachery and backstabbing." She glances towards the Scholar and nods. "Hello again, and my apologies. While I'm more than happy to give out big information and knowledge, I hardly felt it significant to give out personal and petty secrets."
"Everything a spirit does, a spirit does to test." The Jester says once more, seemingly ignoring the Scholar's attention, "Whether its a meal, a deal, a battle, or a prank done in jest." They quickly add with a giggle, "Their eternal quest is seeking members from among their guests. But what they will never confess is that they do it for their own selfish goals, no matter how pressed, even if it is as apparent as a crest."
Kazel lets her spear sink and lets one of her hands go. She takes place in one of the now empty stone thrones and crosses her legs while she inspects the dagger she had picked up earlier. She does not speak yet, but instead studies the forms of the two spirits a bit more after she is done with the dagger.
Natska flashes Cass a smile. "He did complain that we were dull. Probably all pretty little things."
The Scholar looks at her silent companion, who nods. She turns a smile on the gathered beings. "The House of Night would have been made known eventually," she says, "Like your irritating pet says, it is part of our purpose to find and test those who would follow our paths. And this was a test. Was your secret more important than your friends, could you be trusted to abide by the rules of the game? Were you ready for the consequences?" She waves a hand. "Besides, the three of us made a wager on your actions," she gives a pouting frown to Cassidy, "I'm afraid you lost the game for me, my dear. Pity. And your jester friend pretends to know more than he does. I find that terribly entertaining."
The Jester giggles before gesturing towards the two spirits with a bow, "And my case has just been laid to rest." they say as the spirit once more dismisses self interest. The Jester makes a show of yawning once more as they await the rest of their team to finish asking their questions.
Cassidy lifts her shoulders in a shrug and holds up a finger. "I look out for my interests. I didn't have a stake in your game, I'm afraid, so I was looking out what I did have a stake in. Like I said, I don't give up my personal secrets outside of my own terms." She glances back towards the jester at the scholar's remark and shrugs. "Yeah. They do that. I just kind of ignore them most of the time, really."
Natska frowns again, deeper this time. She crosses her arms and looks down at the ground, her tail slowly swishing back and forth, then she looks up at Vasht and smiles, hooking a thumb at the Jester. "Don't suppose you could that one?" she jests, and then her expression grows more serious. "The House of Night appears when Beings are ready for it, and calls those who should come, yes?"
The Scholar smiles at Rokarion. "Dear fool," she says, "You misunderstand. We have hardly any self to serve. And we cannot be ignored." The plain looking being is suddenly all the way across the room, running a finger along Natska's jaw. "We are inside you as much as we call to you. We are only your own desires made manifest. Without you, we are only hollow ghosts in a barren land. But with you? Ah, then we are powerful indeed!"
Zuri lets the bow angle further down, now pointing at the floor beneath him. The salamander knows what he would have done, and he's not happy with himself. "W-well, your test was mean, and silly." He glances at his companions, then back at the spirits. "Alright, I do have a question. Why? Everything I've seen so far regarding not just the House of Night but the spirits as a whole has been about gathering followers, getting them in these binding contracts. The question is why, and what the catch is for all those beings that agree. Because from where I'm standing this sounds like a one sided deal in your favour."
The Scholar is suddenly standing beside Zuri. "Oh, child," she says gently, "How little you understand! We take only what is offered and nothing more!" She smirks at the black coweled figure who says nothing, but shakes his head a little at Cassidy's question. "See?" the Scholar says, "He cannot take! I never take, I only give! Only ask and I will tell you all that you wish to kno-" she is interrupted by a growl from the figure that must be Vasht. "Very well," she responds, perhaps a little coyly, "I will share what I can."
Cassidy raises her brow as she finds the Scholar... Rather close. "It's an odd situation then, wouldn't you say? All these spirits, trying to lure one being to them over the others." She folds her hands behind her back, tucking the dagger into her belt for the time being. "But all of what the spirits represent, the beings have in them within some capacity. We all keep secrets, we all share information. We all indulge from time to time."
"Precisely, Cassidy! Exactly so!" The Scholar says, once more seated on her throne, "We do not seduce, or woo mortals for sport!" She says, "We offer a place for those of like minds! We call out to those who are filled with a Spirit like unto our own and nurture them."
