MASKTOURN

Evan wakes in a dark, square room. The floor is dirt, but he's sitting on a woven rug. The walls are stone brick, and enclose him on every side. There’s no way in, and no way out. The room is suffocatingly warm, dark and dry. Evan would soon begin to feel thirst clawing at his throat. He'd wake on his side, though he was completely unrestrained. Seems they didn't view this kid as much of a threat. Before Evan, 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 Evan. The woman takes in a heavy breath, and finally speaks. Her voice is not that of the flaming apparition. “Welcome to the Halcyon Citadel.” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

With a low moan, Evan’s eyebrows furrowed as he slowly regained consciousness. His eyes flickered open, and he squinted, desperate to make out details of the room he was in with such low lighting. This wasn’t his bedroom, this wasn’t home, where- The memories were quick to flood his mind. The voice. The light. The person on fire. The discomfort and pain- Quickly, the boy sat up and looked around. When his gaze rested on Albanes, Evan whimpered and scooted back so that he was against the wall. Given how small the room was, it didn’t allow for him to have much space between himself and Albanes, but he’d take every centimeter he could get. Evan’s heart pounded anxiously in his chest as he looked at Albanes. In a small voice, he spoke. “Wh-where’s that?” He mustered out. “A-and who are you- Why- Why am I here?!” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The... Halycon Citadel. The realm of the Lifebringer." The woman explained, in a soft, gentle voice. "My predecessor has brought you here to compete. I really am sorry. I'll do everything I can to keep you safe while you're here." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

At her tone, the pounding of his heart began to lessen in intensity. He was still shaking, but he was cautiously a bit more comfortable with her. “I-I don’t know who the Lifebringer is,” Evan blinked rapidly. Tears were beginning to fill his eyes as he recalled what the fiery person had told him. A tournament of bloodshed, conquest, and victory. “C-can you send me back home? Please?” Evan whimpered, looking at Albanes with pleading eyes. “I-I’m not a fighter, I don’t- Th-this was a mistake- I-I didn’t- I didn’t agree to an-anything-! Please, please s-send me back home.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

(can i get a divine intuition check :3 @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟 )

Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

used /r

# 5
Details:[d20-2 (7)]

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

(ur characters are so doomed to fail these checks omg)

(Small brains

)

"I- I'm the Lifebringer. My name is Albanes Shairoun." The woman said, though the words wouldn't have any particular resonance to Evan. "I- I can't, I'm really sorry. It's out of my control. I'm really sorry. But I can try to protect you while you're here." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“B-but- If you’re the Lifebringer, and th-this is the Lifebringer’s realm, then- That’d mean you’d have lots of p-power, right? A-are you sure there isn’t any way I can g-go back home?” Evan asked desperately. He needed to go back home- All he was doing was work on some silly little creations that he wanted to build! All he was doing was sitting at his desk and he was going to eat dinner with his dad- Oh god, his dad. His dad was going to be worried sick. Before he knew it, tears rolled down Evan’s cheeks. His dad was kind, gentle, loving, he was the best dad there was, and now, Evan was gone. He just vanished. That wasn’t like him. He just- He- His dad would have to plan a funeral. His son disappeared and would die and he’d have to plan a funeral and it’d be an empty casket and- “I-I need to go back h-home..” The boy whispered. “I’m n-not going to s-survive h-here..” Metal began to coat Evan’s fingertips as his anxiety worsened. The boy hardly noticed with how distraught he was. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I- my predecessor holds more power here than I do. There is little I can do to directly undermine their plans. I am sorry." Albanes apologized again. And she really did look it- guilt creased her brow and welled in her eyes like unspilled tears. "I am so, so sorry. I will do everything I can for you, while you're here." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan bit back a sob as he heard Albanes' words. There wasn't any hope in being able to go home. He was stuck here, and there wasn't anything anyone could do about it. The boy reached up to rub the tears from his eyes, but they simply continued to flow. "Wh-what's going to h-happen?" Evan whispered. "Th-the fire person s-said that there'd be fighting- A-and dying- I-is ev-everyone going to h-have to fight? Or- I-.. H-how is this a-all going to h-happen?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's a tournament to the death. You and the other competitors will be sorted first into teams, and then organized into matches. One by one you will be called to fight to the death, til only one remains. The victor will be granted life, immortality, and a wish." Albanes explained. "I really, really am sorry." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

The boy's breathing began to race. The metal spread from his finger tips to his forearms as he raised his hands to his hair. Once there, his fingers grasped blue locks tightly. "I-I'm g-going to d-die here-" Evan stammered. His heart was racing in his chest. "E-even w-with your help, I-I'm- I'm going t-to die-" The metal continued to spread. There were likely adults here who came here willingly, those who were into this kind of thing. Violence and murder and fighting and the such. All Evan wanted to do with his life was build things, use his powers to help people, to just learn all he could about the world he lived in. Now, he was in the Lifebringer's realm. He was going to die. There was no way he'd be able to fight and defend himself- He had never even been in a fight before! He was just- A kid who wanted to go to school and learn and make his dad proud. Now, he'd never be able to. He was going to die here having done nothing with his life because he didn't get to live long enough to do anything with it. A waste, a waste of nearly fifteen years- Tears continued to roll down his cheeks as his breathing sped up. Panic was beginning to overwhelm the boy as his thoughts became a whirlwind in his mind. 'Fight to the death, til only one remains.' They might as well just kill him now to spare him the anxiety of wondering when his match would be, and more importantly, just who it would be against. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes stood up carefully, and moved around the table so she could sit next to Evan without having to reach over the bowls. She put a supportive hand on his shoulder, and in an almost motherly tone, reassured, "It's going to be alright. Please, calm down. Take some deep breaths with me. I- I can't deny this is a really scary situation, but it will be alright. I promise, I will take care of you." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan flinched as Albanes approached him. He squeezed his eyes shut as her hand came closer, but it didn’t bring any harm. Rather, her touch brought warmth and comfort. It was a kind and grounding touch, one that Evan did his best to focus on. The boy began to shakily take some deep breaths in and out. It seemed that he was familiar with breathing exercises as he timed every inhale and exhale. After a few moments, his breathing eased and his shaking lessened. The metal on his arms slowly retracted. Evan was terrified to be here, that much was clear. While he didn’t know Albanes all that well- She was a complete stranger, but he needed to take comfort when it was given to him. He needed something, someone to depend on in such a scary situation. Albanes seemed genuine, and that was somewhat enough to help Evan calm down slightly. He came from a family where promises held weight. If she was making him a promise, then perhaps Evan could actually somewhat trust her. Sniffling, the boy whispered, “Th-thank you, M-Miss Albanes..” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

Albanes gently patted Evan's back as his breathing eased, and made effort to audibly breath in time with him. She seemed relieved he was calming down. "Please. Just call me 'Albanes'." They said, choosing their next words carefully. "And it's alright. I don't want you freaking out here." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“O-okay, thank you, A-Albanes,” The boy spoke softly. “Mmmnn, ye-yeah, it’s probably b-best not to freak out, especially w-with how small it is in here..” Too small. Uncomfortably small. So small it genuinely was suffocatingly small the more he thought about how small and cramped this room truly was. Evan started to take deep breaths in an effort to calm himself before he started to panic about that. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes lingered by Evan's side. "I know. But you won't have to stay here for very long. The rest of the citadel is very nice, and very open. There's a nice courtyard, with all sorts of flowering plants and fruits, and there's all different kinds of birds." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan took in several more deep breaths as he listened to Albanes. "Th-that sounds nice," Evan admitted quietly. "W-we don't have many plants back home, and hardly a-any birds- Maybe I c-can learn about the kinds th-that you have here.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'd be happy to tell you what I know about either the plants or the birds, though, I'll admit, I'm no expert in either subject." Albanes hummed, hoping the rambling and pleasant subject was calming Evan down. "My favorite birds are magpies. Do you have a favorite?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Th-that's okay, I'd be happy to learn anything, e-even if it's just a little bit," Evan managed a small smile. "Magpies are nice- I-I think that chickadees are nice, too. I've never seen one before, though." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Aw, chickadees are very cute, and very fluffy. I think there's some in the citadel. Maybe we'll have to go birdwatching at some point and find them." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan visibly perked up at the mention of sightseeing. "R-really? There might be some here? I-I'd like that, if we could go sightseeing, that'd- That'd be really, really nice." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Of course. There's a lot of interesting things to see around the Citadel. I think you'll like it a lot." She nodded. "If you want, we can finish up here, so you can get to the Citadel quicker." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Th-that'd be nice, too," Evan nodded his head. Anything to get out of this small room and be out in the open. "How d-do we finish up here..? Do I have to- Answer some questions, o-or ask questions, o-or..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, if you have any questions for me, now is a good time to ask them." Albanes said, "When you're ready, you'll some from drink one of those bowls, and then I'll put you to sleep so you can wake up when the tournament starts." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan paused as he thought about what he could ask. ".. Wh-what exactly is the Lifebringer?" He decided to ask. "I-I've never heard of them- Or, you, I mean- S-so I'm not familiar with what they do.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The Lifebringer is a God, of... healing, and, well, life. It manifests through a mortal incarnation, and is passed from one incarnation to the next over thousands of years." Albanes explained. "I'm the seventh incarnation. My predecessor, the one running this tournament, is the first." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

'Seven's a lucky number.' Evan noted. Though, given the distant look in her eyes, maybe Albanes wasn't so lucky after all. "O-oh, so there's- Two Lifebringers, then," Evan nodded his head. "And there's been several already, that- That's interesting. I haven't heard of any deities that are like that." Pausing for a moment, Evan asked, "Wh-what's the other Lifebringer like..? Are they nice like you, o-or should I steer away from them..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. I don't think it's a very... common way for deities to manifest." Albanes hummed. "Naiyta is.... strange. Dangerous. It'd be best for you to avoid them as much as possible." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan nodded his head in agreement. Though, it's not that he really knew much about deities in the first place. He was only familiar with the story of one back home, one that he wasn't sure if he even believed in. "O-okay, Naiyta, I'll stay away from them," Evan nodded his head again. "I-is there anyone else here I should avoid..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes thought. "I... don't know. I'm not allowed to give too much specific information about the other competitors here, and I've only talked to about half of them. Most I have spoken to seem... kind enough." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Oh- Okay, I can- Work with that,” Evan shifted slightly. “I’ll just- Be nice with everyone I meet, then, too, so things can stay nice.” Met about half of the competitors? It felt like maybe there were more competitors than Evan expected. All who were probably older and into violence and murder. All who were into the reward of immortality and a wish. A wish. There were a lot of things Evan wished for in life, but the one thing he wanted most of all.. Shifting uncomfortably, Evan looked at the floor. “U-uhm- Albanes..? Can- I doubt I’ll m-make it to the end to m-make a wish, but- C-could the wish be u-used to.. Bring someone b-back to life..?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yes, that's one thing you could use it for. I think... most people are planning to use it for something like that." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“O-oh, I see..” Evan spoke quietly. “E-everyone’s likely lost someone, s-so- It makes sense that people would f-fight hard to get s-someone back..” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. It's a common desire, to be with those you've lost." Albanes's tone indicated she spoke from personal experiences. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

They’d all likely fight harder than he would. Evan’s powers came in handy, but he wasn’t sure if he had it in him to fight like the others. Even though he wanted to see his dad smile like he used to, Evan wasn’t sure if he could live with blood on his hands. It felt like it went against everything his father had ever taught him about life. These hands were never meant to harm; they were meant to help others and nurture those around. That was his role, after all, one that he’d grow into. “A-Albanes..? Can I ask- Another question?” Evan asked. “You don’t- Have to answer it, but-.. I’m just- A b-bit worried..” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"... of course. I might not be able to answer it, but maybe I can." Albanes nodded. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I just-” The boy fidgeted with the drawstrings of his hoodie. “I dunno, I just- You feel kind of.. Sad. A-are you.. Doing okay?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes managed a weak, fake but reassuring smile. "I'm alright. Thank you, for asking, though. You don't have to worry about me." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Evan frowned slightly. He wanted to make sure she actually was okay, but he didn’t want to press on the issue. Part of him had wanted to offer a hug- Hugs made everything better, right? At least, that’s how he felt whenever his dad or older brother would hug him. Though, they usually knew what to say to accompany the hug. Evan wasn’t so sure how to do that yet. He didn’t know how in the world they just seemed to know how to say the right things at the right time. It was magic. Maybe even some kind of super power that people got once they were older. With age came wisdom, right? Isn’t that how it worked? “O-okay, but- If you d-do ever wanna talk, I can- Lend an ear or two..” Evan offered. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Thank you." Albanes took in a breath, but made effort not to let her smile fall. "I'll keep that in mind. You don't need to bother yourself with all my issues, though." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Yeah, but- Still.. If you’re going to h-help me, then- It’s the right thing I-I try to help you, too..” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Most of my issues are.... hm. I don't want to burden you with that sort of thing." Albanes resolved. "But thank you, anyways." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Y-yeah, no problem..” Evan fell silent. He wasn’t sure what to ask next, so he remained quiet. His gaze rested on the bowls that were still on the table. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of the beverages. He was even more nervous at the thought of consuming them, though. “.. I-is there one you’d r-recommend..?” Evan asked quietly. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ahhh...." Albanes gestured between the white bowl and the clear one. "Either of those two, I think you'd be able to tolerate. Don't touch the red, it's not... for you." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“.. N-not for me?” Evan wanted to ask more questions about it, but he didn’t want to linger much on the topic. He was familiar with red of that color and how terrifying it could be. Best to leave it alone. Hesitating, Evan reached for the first one. He gave it a tentative look before he looked up at Albanes. “I-is this one okay enough..?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Not for you." Albanes shook her head. "That one should be alright." She nodded. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Taking her word for it, Evan nodded his head. Slowly, he began to drink the white liquid.. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

It was goat's milk! Nice and creamy and semi-sweet, though kind of warm because of the room temperature. Albanes watched Evan drink, but didn't say anything. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Oh, that was kinda pleasant, actually. Nothing too crazy. Once he was done with it, Evan set the bowl down. “Is there.. A reason that I had to drink one?” Evan asked. He probably should’ve asked that before even drinking it. Good thinking. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"My predecessor wants to make sure everyone drinks some." Albanes said. "It's, uh, something to do with your body adjusting to the different realm, I think." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“O-oh-.. That makes sense..” Evan nodded. “And now- I-I go to sleep..?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yes." Albanes was already sitting besides Evan, it didn't take her much effort to rest her hand on his forehead. "Are you ready? I can give you a countdown, if you want." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Y-yes, please,” Evan trembled as he shut his eyes. “I-I’d appreciate that a lot..” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Alright. On 'three' you'll be asleep." Albanes said. "One... two... three." Just as she said, the minute she uttered the final number Evan was out. Goodnight! @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟