MASKTOURN

Ellie wakes in a dark, square room. The floor is dirt, but she's sitting on a woven rug. The walls are stone brick, and enclose them on every side. There’s no way in, and no way out. The room is suffocatingly warm, dark and dry. Ellie would soon begin to feel thirst clawing at it's throat. She woke laying on her side, and would quickly discover she's been chained at the ankles. It can move the rest of its body freely, but can't stand up or walk. Before Ellie, sat a small, low table, covered by a rug similar to the one they sat upon. Two oil lamps flicker at either ends of the table, their small lights the only in the room. The only other objects on the table are three small wooden bowls, all filled with an unidentifiable liquid. The first is white, opaque and creamy. The second is glassy and clear, with a slight cloudy, brownish color to it. The third is just as opaque as the first, but is a deep, muddy red in color. Across from the table is the only other person in the room. A woman. She appears to be middle aged, with warm, pale skin and brown, graying curls spilling over her shoulders. She wears a simple, cream-colored dress, with a long red vest over it. Her gaze is melancholy, almost distant, as she makes eye contact with Ellie. The woman takes in a heavy breath, and finally speaks. Her voice is not that of the flaming apparition. “Welcome to the Halcyon Citadel.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ellie wakes in a dark, square room, that ringing noise fading from her ears. She's groggy, groaning quietly as she rolls her shoulders back. Did she pass out in the showers? It felt...different. Like dirt and rug. But it's still as suffocating and warm as it was before... As it shifts to a sitting position, it hears the ever-loud clank of chains. Her eyes dart down to the source of the noise, but she's far too sleepy to be...too concerned about that. Slightly concerned, yes, but not too concerned. The woman before her doesn't look anything like that flaming ghost guy from earlier. Nor does she look like one of the Preeminent's ghosts, either. The Halcyon Citadel. "Why'm I chained up," Ellie blearily asks, after staring at the woman for a moment. Her voice cracks painfully as she speaks. The bowls of water in front of her do not look appetizing. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's just a precaution. I promise. I mean you no harm." The woman cautioned. "I'm very sorry this has to happen. But there's nothing I can do." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Oh. Oh, that's alright." Ellie didn't seem...too phased by all of that. "I don't hurt you or anything, um- I guess I'm just a bit confused? But I get why you'd put these on." The chains rattle as it shakes its foot a bit. "Sorry that...what has to happen? The 'chosen' stuff?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The woman seemed... slightly surprised Ellie didn't react too negatively. They blinked, and refocused. "The tournament. You're here for a tournament. And it is very, very likely you will die here. I... I am sorry, really." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

If the room weren't so hot and stuffy and awful, it would actually be kind of cute. Also, if there was a door, that'd be super cute too. But still, with the eerie ambiance and the table, it was kind...of. C. Cozy. 'It is very, very likely you will die here. "I'm going to die?" it echoed. It's ears were ringing again. "I'm going t-to- to- wait, hang on!" Ellie suddenly exclaimed, trying to get to her feet. The chains clackled delightfully as she failed. "Hold on, wait! Wait, wait, wait, what do you mean= huh? I- I'm going to die? I'm going to die?" Goodbye, Miss Calm, Cool, Collected. Ellie clutched at the table rug desperately, her breathing quickly becoming erratic and wheezy. She was going to die? She didn't want to die! She still had to practice! She still had to go home! How was this fair? This wasn't fair! "H-how do I get out? I don't want to be 'Chosen', or anything! Is this a prank? It's gotta be, right?!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

And that was the reaction the woman had expected. She steadied the table with her hands so Ellie wouldn't accidentally spill the bowls. "I'm sorry. Please calm down. Take some deep breaths- it'll be okay. I promise." Their voice was worried, guilty and somber all at once. "You're going to die. But not for a while. And I'll take care of you until that happens. I promise." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Sorry- sorry, I'm sorry," Ellie wheezed, lifting her hands off the table as not to disturb the bowls any more. "Oh- oh, First Spinjitzu- oh." She wanted to live to at least sixty- she wasn't even halfway there yet! "I'm going- I- I'm going to- sorry, h-hold on." She fanned desperately at her stinging eyes. "Deep breaths, deep- deep breaths. Mmm. Mmmh.m." They felt sorry for her. She kind of felt sorry for herself, too. Ellie swallowed back that awful lump in her throat, a rattly, strained hiccup leaving her as she tried to speak. "I- I have so many questions," Ellie quietly asked, voice wavering all over. It didn't think it could even muster up the tears to cry if it wanted to- "W-who are you? Where am I? Um. Ohhh, First Spinjitzu Master." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

(can I get a divine intuition check :3 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 )

(su re !!)

Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

used /r

# 17
Details:[d20-2 (19)]

(woo!!)

(huh ! not too awful actually slay girlie)

"I really am sorry." The woman repeated. "But it's out of my hands." She took in a deep breath. "You're in the Halycon Citadel- a separate dimension from your own, reigned by myself and my predecessors. My name is Albanes Shairoun. I am the Regnant and Sepitmal Lifebringer." At that point, the realization would quickly dawn on Ellie. The person she was talking to was a god. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

There were so many things at once. So, so many things all at once. Things such as another dimension, one not like the 16 Main ones that Ninjago was a part of, her name- Albanes, which was rather pretty- and the reigning Lifebringer, which she did not know anything about. But as if a switch was flipped, Ellie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. The realization was dawning very quickly. She didn't know why she knew or how she pieced it together, but she knew. "You're a god," Ellie breathlessly said, still covering her mouth. She still couldn't cry. She was in the presence of a god and all she could do was blubber about it. "Oh- oh, wow. Um. Oh, wow." As soon as that moment was over, Ellie was all watery again, though with a little more franticity than earlier. "Wait- wait, if you're a god, w-why did you- are you the host of this tournament? Why can't I go home? W-why did you choose me?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

Albanes winced at being called a god, but couldn't deny it. "Yes. The Lifebringer is a God of healing, immortality and life. I am the seventh incarnation." She seemed even more uncomfortable with the other questions. "I didn't choose you. I didn't choose any of this- I promise. If it was up to me, you would've never been brought here, but I am powerless in this situation." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Rggh," Ellie groaned, scratching at her hair. Albanes seemed...unwilling in this whole process, but this whole process was still awful. "Hh- um- what, what's this tournament about? Asi..de from the. Dying. W-wait, wait, if you're the God of life and immortality, why are you- this fight- why am I going to die!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I can't share that information." Albanes answered, clearly very uncomfortable with the subject at hand. "It's out of my hands." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Yeah, really unwilling. Ellie slumped against the table slightly, taking care not to shake the table too badly. She pressed the heel of her palm against her eye, exhaling through the gaps in her teeth. It's questions might just be making things worse, but it wasn't like it knew anything about what was happening here. It was going to die. Probably going to die. Very likely going to die. It was going to die. "What...information can you share?" she quietly asked. "I- if, if I'm going to die here, I at l-least wanna know what I can do, y-y'know? I'm not gonna sit down and just- just die." Her lip quivered terribly at that. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes was hesitant. "It's a tournament. You can compete to win, you can fight, and you might survive that way... but you'd have to kill." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

So there was a way to get out. That was good. That was good. Through the panic of learning she could die here, she had missed the 'likely' part of it. There was still a chance, and she was going to do anything she could to get out of here. Though that meant killing people, and she wasn't a murderer or anything! "That's- hhg, that's awful," Ellie groaned. Bestie was very much stressed. "I- I mean- I kind of get it? But jeez. Jeez. That's...ohhgh. We gotta kill...people to get out- to win. Hh." She was wheezing again. "Um- um, okay. Noted. I'll keep that i-in mind." "What...what's the prize...? Just, living? Getting outta here?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Life. Eternal life, and whatever the victim desires." Albanes said. Her tone remained somber. "You'll also go back home. I... don't believe my predecessor will keep you here beyond that point." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...how many...people are here? Um. If that's a question you can answer." Ellie tried not to focus on the victim part to much. She was a victim to this. Death tourney, huh? @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm not sure yet. I think... about eighteen or so, right now." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...That's. A lot of people..." Ellie was not looking forward to this. "Um. A-alright. I think that's...all the questions I have about...that." Ellie was really not looking forward to this. She swallowed back the dryness in her throat, fiddling with the rug atop the table a bit. The water in the bowls warbled silently. "W...what's that for?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes glanced to the bowls, and took in another deep breath. "Drink one." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...d-drink?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes nodded. "Yes. Only one- and I promise, you'll be safe. They aren't poison, or anything." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"That's...reassuring, at least," Ellie mused, looking over the bowls. [Exhibit A; milk water? White substance. Exhibit B; mud water Exhibit C; blood. Just probably straight up blood.] "D-do...I have to drink all of it?" Ellie warily asked. She was kind of leaning towards the mud water. "W-what happens after? Or is that also an unanswered kinda question?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Only as much as you're comfortable with. But you have to pick one." Albanes said. "After, I will put you to rest, and you will wake at the start of the tournament." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...So. So is a liiittle sippy alright?" Ellie asked, pinching her fingers together. Maybe she'd drink the milk-cream-white water. Put to rest. A funny thought. Also a double meaning. Ha. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"As long as you drink some." Albanes nodded. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Milk-cream-white water it was. Ellie carefully took the first bowl, blowing gently on the surface. It wasn't even warm. As she lifted the bowl to her lips, she faltered, peering up at Albanes guiltily. "W-wait- um. A lot of questions, sorry- will my stuff come with me? I had a bag on me, and- and my phone too. I guess the cell won't work- it's just for momentos sakes? I have photos on stuff on there, if- if I die here, I at least want to see my friends faces." Her bag. And the NGTV News camera she had forgotten to return. In there. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Your belongings are being kept. I will... see if I can get them to you during the tournament. If you win, they will be returned to you. If you die, they will be returned to the place you were taken from." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

So that $1400 camera would still be in the locker room. Hopefully Charlie would find it. "T-thank you," Ellie sighed, fingers pressing into the side of the bowl. "W-well. Um. Sorry for all the questions. Thank you. Er, down the hat.ch...sip." Ellie took a sip from the bowl of. White liquid, bracing herself for whatever the hell that was. Milk? She hoped it was milk. It probably wasn't going to be milk. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

It was indeed milk! Goat's milk, to be specific, if Ellie would know the difference. It was lukewarm, and kind of sweet, and overall a very neutral experience drinking. Albanes watched Ellie as she sipped the milk, but didn't say anything. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

...oh. ...Ellie continued sipping the milk quietly. She tried not to look too pleased drinking it. (At least it was milk.) @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

9:22 PM

Albanes just... continued watching, in awkward silence. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ellie put down the (now empty) bowl, hands folded neatly in her lap. She really didn't have to drink it all. "Alright, I'm. Ready to go to sleep," Ellie said, sniffling slightly. "Uh. Thanks." For what? She didn't really know. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Alright." Albanes got up slowly, and walked around the table to where she could rest a hand on Ellie's forehead. "I'm going to give you a countdown, okay? On 'one', I'll put you to sleep." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Oh, that's super stressful," Ellie wheezed. "Okay. Okay. Okay. I'm okay. Okay." Ellie was all tense as hell, eyes scrunched shut. "This is so stressful." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm sorry." Albanes apologized again. "Alright. Three... two... one." At the final number, Ellie would be thrust into deep, dreamless slumber. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Three things happened today. 'Three.' A; She was in a death tournament and was probably going to die here. 'Two.' B; She was probably going to have to kill someone. 'One.' C; She was very far from home. Ellie slumped to the ground and began to drift. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs