MASKTOURN

Isi wakes in a dark, square room. The floor is dirt, but they’re 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. Isi would soon begin to feel thirst clawing at their throat. She'd woken laying on her side, and soon realize she'd been chained at the wrists. The chains were loose enough to allow her a decent amount of movement, though she would have trouble getting up and moving around the room Before Isi, 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 Isi. The woman takes in a heavy breath, and finally speaks. Her voice is not that of the flaming apparition. “Welcome to the Halcyon Citadel.” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi couldn't remember waking up, only that her first thought was fire. All the warning signs in her brain were going off. She began breathing faster immediately even before realizing she was chained, though that didn't help matters since she pulled at them immediately despite how it hurt her wrists. The dryness in her throat when she swallowed got her attention first, then her eyes finally adjusted and the room came into view. Had it not been for the rest of the confusing contents of the room, the fact that it looked like someone had put her underground again would've sent her into a panic. As it was, she looked at the bowls in front of her, deciding not to try and sniff them just yet. They looked too suspicious. Finally, she looked at the woman across from her. Her ears lowered instantly, she had a gut knowledge of who this was but it was dark and she looked...she looked so much older. The confusion was written all over Isi's face, especially when the woman spoke. Thankfully, the confusion was overrunning the panic for now. "You- I know you. What is this? Why did you bring me here?" Her voice rose as if to sound stronger, only to crack on the last word. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The woman startled, clearly confused. "You- you must have me confused for someone else. I'm sorry." She took in a heavy breath. "And... I'm very sorry for that, too. I didn't bring you here. I have... very little say in all of this." @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

"Albanes? You- don't you remember everything?" Isi mirrored the woman's confusion. They tried to think back, even though they avoided doing so. Albanes had been on the boat, she was sure. But had she ever left it? Isi hasn't been exactly worrying about that, but the uncertainty, the confusion of it all was overwhelming her. She picked up her braid in her hands and ran them over it repeatedly.

"How do you know my-" She shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know you. I really, really think you have me mixed up with somebody else." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi looked at Albanes like she'd just slapped them, but after a moment simply shook her head and let out a long breath. "Okay. Okay. Nevermind." She conceded, finally. Isi looked back up, face set into something more determined now. "What am I- are we doing here then? What's happening?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You were brought here for a tournament. To compete." Albanes said. "It is... very, very likely you will die here." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Oh btw does Isi have her satchel on her still or was that taken ))

(satchel is still there so she can have the worm :3)

YIPPEEE ))

(any weapons she had in there are gone tho)

Gotcha ))

Her hands stilled on her braid. Not again. She knew it was coming, she'd heard Lifebringer and knew it meant the opposite for her but still, she'd prayed that it couldn't be this again. Isi's face hardened as if she'd expected that answer, but the chains clinked subtly and repeatedly, suggesting she was shaking. "Again?" She spoke in barely a whisper. Her hand instinctively went to the little compartment on the satchel. The constant reminder. Sometimes she wondered why she carried it around, but she could never bring herself to kill it and setting it free could hurt someone. "He's- he's doing this again."

4:26 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes was even more confused now. "What- who's doing what?" She carefully watched Isi's hands @sketti | Isi 🦌

"Yeonaixho. The Lifebringer." She practically spat the name. Isi wasn't understanding any of this. She was trying very hard not to freak out any worse than she already was. As they shifted position a little bit, the satchel fell to their side once more and the little bit of the glass jar that peaked out of its compartment glinted in the lamplight. Her eyes fell back on the three bowls on the table between them, just for something else to focus on.

5:16 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes's eyes widened in... fear. There was confusion there, but it was almost entirely replaced by fear. "Yeonaixho Sehwolh is dead." They said. They couldn't keep their voice from shaking. "I am the Lifebringer now." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi stared at Albanes wide-eyed. "Dead?" Isi's hand went back to her satchel, back to rest on the barely-visible jar. Her eyes moved rapidly back and forth from Albanes to the floor to her hands, and for a moment she looked angry again, only for that to dissolve too when she saw how Albanes was shaking. "Oh." After a few more beats of silence, Isi gestured weakly to the bowls with her other hand. "What are those for?" She changed the conversation. Her voice was substantially more resigned-sounding.

6:12 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"He's been dead for almost five hundred years now." Albanes said. She didn't look away Isi's hand over the jar. Only for a monent, she glanced to the bowls. "You're meant to drink one of them." And then, back to Isi. "What's in that jar you have?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi looked up, open mouthed once the words 500 years registered. She closed and opened her mouth a few more times like she wanted to respond, or to rebuke, but came up with nothing. She looked at the bowls and wrinkles her nose. None of the liquids looked all that pleasant. Maybe the creamy one. Maybe that was just milk. But she wouldn't put anything past this new tournament. She seemed happy enough with the topic change, or at. least less confused or disturbed. She released the strap on to of the compartment with a little snap, pulling out a jar with a very strange little creature inside. It appeared to be sleeping, a little difficult to make out in the dim light. "It's a something I got from the last tournament." She stated, though aware Albanes didn't know there had been a last one. "I'm taking care of it for a...a friend..." The phrase felt strange in her mouth. She did not regard Madeline as a friend, but it was easier to say that than to say 'person who's direct warning I disobeyed resulting in several terrible turns of events'.

6:24 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes leaned forward to study the jar in the low light. It was difficult, but with effort she could make out the details, details she had learned well over the years. Little details that were too familiar. God, it looked just like her. But... was it alive? She couldn't tell. "Where did you get that? Who gave it to you?" Her voice was shaking again. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Oh, oh this hadn't been Isi's intent at all. She pulled the jar back reflexively. "Someone named Madeline." Isi had a rapidly sinking feeling in her chest. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Madelyn?" Albanes repeated, their voice barely above a whisper. "You.... you got it from somebody named Madelyn?" That couldn't be right. It couldn't be that big of a coincidence. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded quickly. "Do you know her? Do you know Madeline?" Isi suddenly had more energy to her voice again. She leaned forward. Yet again this made absolutely no sense, especially with what she knew of what happened to the Madeline she knew. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes's hand went to her chest, to a ring she wore strung on a chain like a pendant. "I... I knew someone named Madelyn." She took in a heavy breath, not looking from the worm in the jar. "She was my wife..." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi wrapped her arms around herself, or tried to, the chains were annoying. She pulled hard against them again as if it would help. "I'm...I'm sorry she's gone. That must be awful." ... "I don't think the one I knew is around anymore either." Isi confessed. "...and I don't think they were the same person." Isi didn't think any of the people she'd talked about with Albanes up until this point were the same people. "Did your Madelyn have a worm too?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's... alright. She's been gone for a while." Albanes sighed. Finally, she looked away from the worm, only to close her eyes. "I'd... rather not talk about it." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded slowly, putting the jar back in its little compartment. Suddenly she again looked determined. Sighing heavily. "This might sound weird, but please tell me you aren't hosting this thing so you can. . . bring her back. This isn't about necromancy is it?" There was an edge to her voice and she watched Albanes carefully. Isi knew Albanes had said she didn't have control here, and she knew Albanes looked very not emotionally well, but Albanes was a Life Bringer now. The last life bringer acted all kindly and unassuming too. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"No." Albanes shook her head. "I'm not hosting this at all. I promise, if it was up to me, you'd all be home. But it's not. I'm sorry." "I don't... I don't want to raise the dead." They added solemnly. @sketti | Isi 🦌

This seemed to briefly calm Isi down, despite the fact that it didn't mean she wasn't still probably going to die. Some glances here and there indicated she still had her doubts, though. "Who is hosting it?" She looked down at her cuffs, using one hand to feel around the other, like she was trying to get them off. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

8:47 PM

"and why?"

"My predecessor. Naiyta Hauryan. I cannot tell you why they are hosting it. I'm sorry." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi frowned heavily. Well there's a name they, this time, hadn't heard before. She kept the name in mind. God, she wished she could talk to someone about all this. She missed Yuga already, she missed Roy and Darcy always. But she prayed she wouldn't meet any of them here. She seemed significantly more subdued now, compared to her original rollercoaster of anger, panic, confusion and questions. "And..the bowls? Why should I drink them?" Now that the aforementioned rollercoaster had stopped at resignation station, she could feel how dry her throat was. the liquids still weren't appealing though.

8:56 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm not allowed to let you to leave until you drink from them. None of them will hurt you, I promise." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi looked at them, wrinkles her nose again, then looked back at Albanes. "All of them? Why? What's in them?"

"Only one. And you only have to drink a bit." She clarified. "I can't tell you what's in them." @sketti | Isi 🦌

"and I'm guessing you can't tell me what this is for?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

She shook her head. "I really am sorry." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Am I able to roll to see if Isi can identify any of the liquids via smell ))

(ye but you would have to succeed 1 roll for each)

Which modifier should I use ))

(wis)

I don't know why I put her wis at a -1 that should not be that way ahfkahfj am I allowed to change one or two things around rq or nah ))

(ye u can switch things up rn)

Sweet one moment ))

9:17 PM

Opaque white liquid:

sketti | Isi 🦌

used /r

# 8
Details:[d20+1 (7)]

Cloudy liquid:

sketti | Isi 🦌

used /r

# 10
Details:[d20+1 (9)]

Reddish liquid:

sketti | Isi 🦌

used /r

# 12
Details:[d20+1 (11)]

The first bowl didn't smell much like anything in particular, but the second had a salty, meaty smell, almost like a broth. The third was blood. Just... straight up blood. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi leaned down to sniff each bowl before choosing. She looked confused at the first bowl, shook her head at the second, and pulled away from the third with a grimace. Meat smell and blood were definitely a no. She'd have to chance the first bowl. She picked it up, taking a small sip and trying not to look like she hated the prospect.

9:21 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The first bowl was milk! Specifically, goat's milk (which according to one Google search is safe for baby and presumably also adult deer). It was sweet, and mild, and overall a pretty neutral experience drinking. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi visibly relaxed upon finding out it was just milk. It was nice after being parched. She put down the bowl, she drank more than she had to but not all of it. She looked back up at Albanes and tilted her head in a 'what now' kind of way. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes had watched Isi the entire time she drank. Once Isi had finished, she sighed. "Now, I will have to put you to rest. You will wake when the tournament starts." @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

Isi frowned again and looked at the floor. One hand found it's way back to the satchel. "Could I just wait instead?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes shook her head. @sketti | Isi 🦌

"what will happen to you?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"What do you mean?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi shrugged. "I don't know, you just don't seem happy with any of this. I guess I'm just wondering what you'll be doing while we're all passed out."

9:47 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I will visit with the other contestants. And prepare for the tournament." She explained. "It's really not all that exciting." @sketti | Isi 🦌

"fair enough." Isi let out a long breath. "Okay, sleep time." Her shoulders dropped. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes stood up, and walked around the table to where she could rest a hand on Isi's forehead. "I'll give you a countdown, okay? On 'one', you'll fall asleep." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi kept her breathing even as Albanes touched her forehead, trying not to show how much she disliked the contact. "Okay. Got it." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Three... two... one." Albanes said. On 'one', Isi would fall into a deep, dreamless slumber. @sketti | Isi 🦌