Route 29: mods (
these_balls) wrote in
route_10652013-10-25 12:32 am
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Entry tags:
NIGHTMARE PLOT: DAY ONE — DAYTIME
Who: Nightmare Plot participants!
Where: ???
When: Friday, October 25 — DAYTIME
Summary: A whole lot of people collectively wake up and rapidly come to the conclusion that their lives are objectively terrible. Also, a castle.
Rating: PG in general; please mark threads that go higher accordingly!
Log:

YOU ARE HERE. UNFORTUNATELY.
KEY:
• RED areas are inaccessible regions of the castle! How they're inaccessible will vary from place to place (and from person to person), so players are encouraged to be creative in making up reasons why their characters can't get in to those areas if they try. For example, they might find the door to be locked or jammed; they might find a section of wall has collapsed and blocked off the corridor; they might just run into an invisible wall or a lingering patch of obscuring fog that ultimately deters them. They might even discover a rather unpleasant-looking monster hanging around and decide they'd rather not take the chance; the sky's the limit here, but the reasons for the same door being blocked can vary from person to person, and we encourage you to use this to add to the IC confusion if you so desire!
• BROWN areas are secret passages! It won't be immediately obvious that these areas exist (naturally, being secret), but with some diligence and careful inspection, characters can find the opening and get inside. Whether it's from lifting a secret latch or just figuring out the wall is hollow and bashing the thing down, of course, is up to player discretion!
• AREA A — the Spooky Garden. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
The obvious object of note here is the pretty fountain bubbling merrily away in the center of this odd little patch of indoor flora; it's made of white marble and is your standard three-tier affair, surrounded by a modest "courtyard" of grass and wildflowers. The animal sculptures are probably Pokemon you recognize...though on second glance they look more like something you're pretty sure you saw back home...and come to think of it, on third glance they're starting to get a little unsettling somehow. Strange! However, if you can stand the spooky company, it's a fairly quiet place to sit and unwind. Maybe you'll be generous and throw P10 into the waters? Or maybe you'll dig in there and retrieve other people's contributions for your own benefit. Either way, be careful when you look into the water; who knows what faces you might see reflected!
• AREA B — the Grand Hall. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
This is where you and your fellowinmates visitors have woken up; everyone will originate here upon the start of the plot, but there's absolutely no restriction on how long you have to stay there, so feel free to take off running as soon as you like. If you decide to stay, though, you'll notice it's a fairly big room, generally rectangular, with walls of gray stone and a healthy coating of dust and cobwebs over most every surface. All things considered, there's not a lot actually in here: some scattered rubble, scraps of wood, tattered cloth, empty sconces on the wall. Poke around a bit and you might find a candle or some other helpful odds and ends, but by and large this seems to be a token Big Empty Room — not particularly helpful for anything but holding people, all things considered.
• AREA C — the Overgrown Tower.
Watch your head as you enter this room; contrary to what you might expect from a tower room, the ceiling is surprisingly low, and the dangling vines might give you a fright if you walk into one without paying attention! There isn't much of note in this room, outside of the plants seeping through the cracks in the cold gray stone and the delicate scent of flowers lingering in the air; not much, that is, save for the wooden rocking horse standing stationary in the center of the room — what could that be doing there?
• AREA D — the Wine Cellar.
Pretty self-explanatory, this one; this room is stocked full of creaky old wine casks and dusty bottles of what is presumably ridiculously well-aged alcohol, along with assorted bottling tools and the other odds and ends you might find in an old-school winery. Alas, no free shot at hitting the bottle for you, minors; characters who would not ordinarily be eligible to drink in Route will find that even if they crack one of these bottles open, the liquid inside turns to old water — or refuses to come out at all.
• AREA E — the Kitchen. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
Like the Wine Cellar, this is also pretty self-explanatory; search the cupboards and you might find food. Whether or not you're willing to try eating it is entirely up to you — who knows what might be in it, or how long it's been there, after all — but no one's likely to starve; when characters aren't in the Kitchen, they won't find themselves to be particularly hungry, regardless of how long it's been since they've last eaten. When they go inside, hunger will set in, but if they'd rather not eat to remedy the problem, then alleviating it is as simple as just leaving the room.
• AREA F — the Hall of Tapestries. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
A nice, long, intimidating hallway with a high arched ceiling and faded tapestries lining the walls. Visitors with a healthy sense of paranoia might notice that this room is a classic example of a "kill box"; there's only one exit on either end and nowhere to hide in the middle. But certainly there's no reason to be frightened while walking alone down this long, empty, echoing corridor — though depending on your nerves, it might be a reason to pick up your pace.
• AREA G — the Decaying Library.
Though it doesn't seem to have seen a caretaker in quite some time, the library comes fully stocked with enough books to keep the literary-inclined busy for a while. There's at least some valid information to be found, most of it detailing a region that doesn't seem to be Johto or Kanto. Descriptions of Mount Coronet and the ruins of Celestic Town, as well as details about what appear to be the creation of the world can be found here, among other things — including the demented ramblings of a man who seems determined to destroy the world and remake it in his image, and the surely coincidental story of a tragedy that occurred in a large manor not entirely unlike the one you've awakened in...
• AREA H — the Hidden Dungeon.
Hopefully you'll never have reason to visit here, but if you've taken up residence in a set of our finest wall manacles, well...enjoy your stay, we suppose. This room is only accessible through the secret passage designated in brown; in the event that your character suffers a critical injury during the course of this plot, after whiting out they will end up in this room, presumably in chains. Hopefully they've got a friend who can pick locks, or who'll otherwise come to spring them from their confinement! If not, it might be a loooooong wait until someone happens by.
• AREA I — the Haunted Terrace.
This area is also accessible by secret passage, and if you happened to find it in the daytime, you might be a bit disappointed to discover that it's pretty much just a big empty patio that looks as though it ought to be outdoors (and the occasional breeze passing through would seem to support that conclusion), but it's so heavily ringed by thick fog that you can't see more than a foot or two past the boundaries of the edges.
~
☆ NOTES ☆
• Remember, all arrivals to the castle originate in AREA B — the Grand Hall, but you're free to move away from there as quickly or as slowly as you like! Feel free to handwave the arrival as you see fit.
• This log is for DAYTIME INTERACTIONS ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 only! The Night One log is here, and other interactions throughout the course of the plot should be made in characters' own journals.
• If you have any questions, you can always ask us here at the INQUIRIES HOTLINE!
~
☆ QUICK LINKS ☆
AREA A — the Spooky Garden | AREA B — the Grand Hall | AREA C — the Overgrown Tower | AREA D — the Wine Cellar | AREA E — the Kitchen
AREA F — the Hall of Tapestries | AREA G — the Decaying Library | AREA H — the Hidden Dungeon | AREA I — the Haunted Terrace
GENERAL — Other Castle Locations
Where: ???
When: Friday, October 25 — DAYTIME
Summary: A whole lot of people collectively wake up and rapidly come to the conclusion that their lives are objectively terrible. Also, a castle.
Rating: PG in general; please mark threads that go higher accordingly!
Log:

YOU ARE HERE. UNFORTUNATELY.
KEY:
• BROWN areas are secret passages! It won't be immediately obvious that these areas exist (naturally, being secret), but with some diligence and careful inspection, characters can find the opening and get inside. Whether it's from lifting a secret latch or just figuring out the wall is hollow and bashing the thing down, of course, is up to player discretion!
• AREA A — the Spooky Garden. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
The obvious object of note here is the pretty fountain bubbling merrily away in the center of this odd little patch of indoor flora; it's made of white marble and is your standard three-tier affair, surrounded by a modest "courtyard" of grass and wildflowers. The animal sculptures are probably Pokemon you recognize...though on second glance they look more like something you're pretty sure you saw back home...and come to think of it, on third glance they're starting to get a little unsettling somehow. Strange! However, if you can stand the spooky company, it's a fairly quiet place to sit and unwind. Maybe you'll be generous and throw P10 into the waters? Or maybe you'll dig in there and retrieve other people's contributions for your own benefit. Either way, be careful when you look into the water; who knows what faces you might see reflected!
• AREA B — the Grand Hall. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
This is where you and your fellow
• AREA C — the Overgrown Tower.
Watch your head as you enter this room; contrary to what you might expect from a tower room, the ceiling is surprisingly low, and the dangling vines might give you a fright if you walk into one without paying attention! There isn't much of note in this room, outside of the plants seeping through the cracks in the cold gray stone and the delicate scent of flowers lingering in the air; not much, that is, save for the wooden rocking horse standing stationary in the center of the room — what could that be doing there?
• AREA D — the Wine Cellar.
Pretty self-explanatory, this one; this room is stocked full of creaky old wine casks and dusty bottles of what is presumably ridiculously well-aged alcohol, along with assorted bottling tools and the other odds and ends you might find in an old-school winery. Alas, no free shot at hitting the bottle for you, minors; characters who would not ordinarily be eligible to drink in Route will find that even if they crack one of these bottles open, the liquid inside turns to old water — or refuses to come out at all.
• AREA E — the Kitchen. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
Like the Wine Cellar, this is also pretty self-explanatory; search the cupboards and you might find food. Whether or not you're willing to try eating it is entirely up to you — who knows what might be in it, or how long it's been there, after all — but no one's likely to starve; when characters aren't in the Kitchen, they won't find themselves to be particularly hungry, regardless of how long it's been since they've last eaten. When they go inside, hunger will set in, but if they'd rather not eat to remedy the problem, then alleviating it is as simple as just leaving the room.
• AREA F — the Hall of Tapestries. — ROOM CHANGES — 10/28/13
A nice, long, intimidating hallway with a high arched ceiling and faded tapestries lining the walls. Visitors with a healthy sense of paranoia might notice that this room is a classic example of a "kill box"; there's only one exit on either end and nowhere to hide in the middle. But certainly there's no reason to be frightened while walking alone down this long, empty, echoing corridor — though depending on your nerves, it might be a reason to pick up your pace.
• AREA G — the Decaying Library.
Though it doesn't seem to have seen a caretaker in quite some time, the library comes fully stocked with enough books to keep the literary-inclined busy for a while. There's at least some valid information to be found, most of it detailing a region that doesn't seem to be Johto or Kanto. Descriptions of Mount Coronet and the ruins of Celestic Town, as well as details about what appear to be the creation of the world can be found here, among other things — including the demented ramblings of a man who seems determined to destroy the world and remake it in his image, and the surely coincidental story of a tragedy that occurred in a large manor not entirely unlike the one you've awakened in...
• AREA H — the Hidden Dungeon.
Hopefully you'll never have reason to visit here, but if you've taken up residence in a set of our finest wall manacles, well...enjoy your stay, we suppose. This room is only accessible through the secret passage designated in brown; in the event that your character suffers a critical injury during the course of this plot, after whiting out they will end up in this room, presumably in chains. Hopefully they've got a friend who can pick locks, or who'll otherwise come to spring them from their confinement! If not, it might be a loooooong wait until someone happens by.
• AREA I — the Haunted Terrace.
This area is also accessible by secret passage, and if you happened to find it in the daytime, you might be a bit disappointed to discover that it's pretty much just a big empty patio that looks as though it ought to be outdoors (and the occasional breeze passing through would seem to support that conclusion), but it's so heavily ringed by thick fog that you can't see more than a foot or two past the boundaries of the edges.
☆ NOTES ☆
• Remember, all arrivals to the castle originate in AREA B — the Grand Hall, but you're free to move away from there as quickly or as slowly as you like! Feel free to handwave the arrival as you see fit.
• This log is for DAYTIME INTERACTIONS ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25 only! The Night One log is here, and other interactions throughout the course of the plot should be made in characters' own journals.
• If you have any questions, you can always ask us here at the INQUIRIES HOTLINE!
☆ QUICK LINKS ☆
AREA F — the Hall of Tapestries | AREA G — the Decaying Library | AREA H — the Hidden Dungeon | AREA I — the Haunted Terrace
GENERAL — Other Castle Locations
no subject
[She does keep her distance as she slowly walks into the garden, towards the fountain. Her eyes trail over the plants, and she frowns.]
This would be a great place to hide things... the plants grow so close you'd almost never find them.
[Her eyes trail over to the fountain as she mutters that...
And bulge as she sees her father standing right behind her in it. She whirls around suddenly, eyes darting to where he would have been.]
What-!
no subject
[...and that catches him in the middle examining a bush holy fuck what did something happen]
What's going on?
[HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT BAD NEWS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THAT VISION WAS REAL]
no subject
[She's still glancing around like she saw a ghost... which she sort of did. But after a few more moments she relaxes with a sigh.]
Never mind. It must have been an illusion.
no subject
[GRUMBLE MUMBLE]
...well, at least it wasn't anything dangerous.
[...he pauses.]
Are you sure that's all it was?
no subject
[Besides, even he couldn't have slipped away so fast... right?]
no subject
[That's kind of worrying in and of itself, really...]
no subject
[Yeeep, if you weren't already paranoid enough about this place, Kayneth.]
no subject
he would be, but...
...who is her dad again...]
Ah, yes, because we really needed to be taunted with our loved ones, don't ---
[...some red hair catches his eye ---
...
why did he look
he knew she wasn't really going to be there, and even if she was it wasn't like she ---
...wow he just was staring with a dumb expression for a few seconds in some other person's presence, wasn't he.
...he'll just clear his throat and pretended he coughed or something]
no subject
You too, hmmm? I think we can probably assume it's meant to mimic the effects of a haunting... or it is a haunting, and the spirits are taking their forms to bother us more effectively.
[If the way her arms are shaking is any indication, it's working.]
no subject
[ugh, he kind of just wants to turn around and explore something less likely to punch him in the emotions
but what kind of wuss would do that]
...Of course, given that this is the most out of the ordinary thing we've seen yet, it could mean that they're intended as a distraction from something important here.
no subject
[Her eyes drift over to the fountain again, though, and she frowns and steps towards it. She'd seen the illusion when she looked in there, was it meant as a distraction? Or a guard of some sort?]
Or maybe...
no subject
[He notices Ilya looking at something, and he follows her line of sight...]
...now, there's a thought. Of course, my point still stands.
[He draws a bit closer to the fountain, albeit... very... cautiously, because fuck this place basically]
no subject
[For... obvious reasons.
Leaning over the fountain, she waits for something to show up... but it doesn't happen this time. Sighing, she rolls her eyes a bit.]
Guess they aren't bothering now that we know it's coming.
[She stares into the water, noting the glint of coins at the bottom. She wonders if those are real.]
I'm going to try to grab a coin. See if what we're seeing down there is what's actually there.
no subject
[He'll just kind of hover over Ilya's shoulder in case some kind of horrorterror tries to drag her into the fountain, because even a skinny nerd like him can probably pull her out of the way if necessary.]
Even if there's nothing lurking in there, the water itself may be dangerous... if anything feels strange, pull your hand out immediately.
no subject
Damn that's cold. She almost freezes as soon as her hand hits the water, but she doesn't want to be in there longer than necessary, so she reaches down as quickly as she can, aiming for the largest coin nearby.
Her fingers can feel the stone of the bottom of the fountain, and after a couple moments, they close around the little round piece of metal. She yanks her hand out and clutches it to her chest, burying it in her coat to warm it.]
Cold cold cold cold... [Shuddering, she moves her other hand to take the coin and holds it up. It's definitely real... but it looks nothing like the pokecurrency she's seen.]
What is this?
no subject
...
he just kind of squints at it]
Perhaps it's some kind of archaic currency from before the current model? ...I'm having a hard time getting a read on it, to be honest.
no subject
And when was the last time anyone came by, if this is the sort of coin that is in the fountain?
[She's not really asking him, of course, just musing over their current state of affairs, but she stares at the coin, rather unnerved by everything it represents. It doesn't help that while her arm is warming up, every drip of water coming off of it feels like a ghostly hand stroking it.]
Unless I see a Pokeball, I'm not reaching in there again.
no subject
[He pauses for a moment, looking between the fountain and the foliage.]
Perhaps we ought to investigate somewhere else for now and see if we can find anything to make this more manageable? I don't think either of us want to be sticking our hands into any more unknowns.
no subject
Yes, let's see what else this place has to offer.
[As her arm slowly dries and she puts the coin in her pocket just in case it becomes useful later, she can't help but feel like they're being watched. She tries to ignore it, but she's definitely looking around as they leave.]
no subject
[...yeah, he's not really noticing because, well... he's dealing with it by looking fixedly ahead and walking at a brisker pace than usual. He's trying to keep control, because really, he deals with these things all the time...
But, if anything, that isn't particular comforting. He knows exactly what they're capable of, and he's defenseless at the moment.
...and it really just gets worse as they come upon a big open hall that looks ominous as balls.]
no subject
Alright, this is one of two things. A trap, or a perfect place to hide a secret passage or two.
... Possibly both.
no subject
Do you want to save this for last, or do you want to get it over with? There are other places we can investigate.