MASKTOURN

Once again, the arena has been transformed. From the perspective of the spectators, it’s a sprawling, contorting, migraine-inducing labyrinth with a large room in the center. With some effort, they’ll be able to track where in the maze the contestants are. As the contestants enter, Naiyta’s voice sounds over the arena- almost sounding as if it’s over a shitty intercom? “Welcome, contestants, to the next match within the tournament. This fight is between Ace Lao-Jiangyauro Lao, representing the Bird team, and Gale Steveyouri Davenport, representing the Snake team.” “The goal of this match is to retrieve the relic in the center of the arena. The first to place a hand on this relic, or the first to knock their opponent unconscious, will be deemed the victor. The loser will be put to death. Good luck to both competitors, and may the spoils of war go to the rightful victor.” As Naiyta’s announcement ends, static-y music starts playing over the intercom. It sounds like phone hold music.

This arena has ONE PART aren’t yall lucky 


THE MAZE 

Your character will decide which path to take each time they come across an intersection. There is a predetermined ‘correct’ route. Taking a wrong turn will result in you reaching a dead end after a random number of turns. When you reach a dead end, you will instantly be teleported back to the junction where you made the wrong turn in the first place. 

CENTER ROOM AND RELIC 

Whoever solves the maze and reaches the center of the room first will have access to the relic and win. On the off chance that both contestants arrive at the same time, you will enter Race Mode: whoever is the first to get 3 successful dexterity rolls will win.

modifiers Gale Davenport Attack: +3 Defense: +2 Initiative: 0 Stength: +4 Dexterity: -2 Constitution: 0 Intelligence: 0 Wisdom: +2 Charisma: +4 Magic: +2 Divine Intuition: -4 JASON LAO Attack: -1 Defense: -2 Initiative: -5 Stength: -2 Dexterity: +2 Constitution: -1 Intelligence: +3 Wisdom: +1 Charisma: +2 Magic: +5 Divine Intuition: 0

innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs pinned a message to this channel. 9/20/2024 11:16 AM

At the same time, both contestants reach the center room. It’s a wide, square space, with hardwood floors, a neutral green wallpaper, and pleasantly warm lighting. The music is loudest here. In the very center of the room is a small plinth, and upon that plinth is the fight’s relic- a woven, beaded friendship bracelet made of pink, yellow and blue thread. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

1

"Ah- Roy," Ace hissed, turning around as the door slammed shut behind him. Loud. The music was so incredibly loud here. Why was his heart pounding so loudly now? Why were his hands shaking so terribly now? Ace turns around sharply, his breath caught in his throat. There- is that the relic? It looks so small. Where is he- breathe.

Gale turns to face the room, barely controlling her breathing as her heart beats out of her chest. ’Ah- Roy-‘ WHAT. “HEY-“ She points, a mixture of fear and anger on her face. “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Shit. Shit! "I- the- there was a person back there," Ace quickly says, hands leaping up in defense. "I- R-roy? Davenp- Davenport? B...rother?" Breathe. Holy shit. You've given speeches. You've given lectures. Two. "I- he was b-back there. Are you- Gale?" @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Her eyes went wide, pinpricking. “Roy- You talked to him?! Where the fuck has he been-?!“ ’Are you Gale?’ “Y-yeah- you’re- Are you Ace?? Why was Roy here?! Is he okay??” @kipology (edited)

Oh, that made stuff worse. "I- hhe. Roy was back there- he was helping guide me through the maze- I think. He wasn't dressed as- as- as one of us- just in his regular...? Clothing- um, he- he's back in the hall." "G...gale. I'm Ace." He exhales a little, all wobbly and breathless, and some fraction of a smile appears on his face. "A-ah. Ellie...has said a lot about you." @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

He’s behind the door- he’s right there he’s right fucking there, he’s not- Her jaw starts to shake as she talks. “He’s- he’s been missing f-for- god-“ She puts her head in her hands, shaking. She breathes sharply, before looking back up at Ace. “I- Ellie-? You know her?” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Mmh. S-she's- she's my friend," Ace softly says. He wants to look to the stands. He wants to look to her. "One of my best friends. I've known her for years." Years. She rented a room. Never paid for months. Was a student, did her best at stuff- "She's kind. She- she seems to like you quite a lot." He drove her back from Stiix after the Preeminent made landfall. He helped her get her first car. He picked it up after shitty shifts and shittier dates. @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

“Sh-she’s your- oh god. You- do you know Nathan? I- he was here too, he helped me- fuck, why is this so- so..” Her hand moved up to her hair, anxiously messing with it. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I- Nathan?" Nathan."I- yes, I do, he- he called me." Somewhere. Greece- awful liar, not Greece, not Greece, somewhere cold and snowy and lonely. He knows his name. The words are falling out of his mouth before he realizes it. "He's somewhere, I don't- I don't know- he's here? As in- N-nat's here?" Loud. It's far too confusing and far too loud. Amber eyes anxiously dart to the door behind Gale. There.

2:45 PM

@Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

“Y-yeah, he’s- he’s behind the door- Roy’s behind you, r-right? I- we- why did they close the door on them, they’re right fucking there-!” Gale looked around, trying to see if Albanes or that asshole Naiyta were watching from somewhere. “Why the hell would they take them here??” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I don't...I don't know," Ace quietly groaned. "I don't know how they know this- about our family and- everything." "Roy- he said he was just brought here. Doesn't remember a thing before." @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

“Nathan didn’t remember how he got here- god, what the fuck!? They can’t just- they already abducted us, why- why can’t they just leave our families alone?! What, is Claire here too?! My fucking parents?!” An awful mix of anxiety and anger were swirling in her head- and the air around her was swirling as well, blowing cold air into the room. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ai. Aii. "No- no, just Roy- I didn't bump into your parents, or- or Claire or anyone, I assure you," Ace said, wincing a bit. Wind. Right. Ellie mentioned it too. "It's just- just Roy back there." Nathan. Why was Nathan here- was he okay? Was he hurt? Was he well? @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

The intercom crackled to life. "I remind the contestants that they are here to fight, not to argue with one another. If your life is not motivation enough, trust that I can think of something else. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 (edited)

“I- C-Claire, I have to get back home, if- if Roy’s alive then we can-“ The intercom cut her off, and her heart leaped into her throat. She stared down the relic, glancing to the door, to Ace, then fixating on the bracelet. She wasn’t dying here.

Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

used /r

# 15
Details:[d20 (15)]

Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

used /r

# 13
Details:[d20-5 (18)]

gale turn

Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

used /r

# -1
Details:[d20-2 (1)]

gale 0/3

Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

used /r

# 1
Details:[d5 (1)]

gale 24 hp

well. Gale trips and eats shit I guess (edited)

Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

used /r

# 10
Details:[d20+2 (8)]

Ace is 1/3

Ace immediately starts booking it. Ai.. Ai. Ai.

gale turn

Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

used /r

# 18
Details:[d20-2 (20)]

gale 2/3

3:01 PM

ace turn

Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

used /r

# 20
Details:[d20+2 (18)]

ace 2/3 (edited)

Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

used /r

# 7
Details:[d20-2 (9)]

gale 2/3

Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

used /r

# 6
Details:[d20+2 (4)]

ace 2/3

Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

used /r

# 16
Details:[d20-2 (18)]

GALE WIN

3

2

3:02 PM

Gale rached the relic in the nick of time!!! @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Fuck.

Gale flys up to the relic, stumbling as she lands and grabbing it as quickly as they can. She got it, she won, holy fuck she did it- Gale looks down to Ace, guilt clear on their face. “I- I’m sorry-“ @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace staggers, his torso slamming against the plinth as soon as Gale grabs that precious little bracelet in between her fingers. No. "Ha," Jason exhales, all breath leaving him. There's something haunted in his eyes, something- relieved? Aching. "H-ha. It's- it's alright." Ellie would be happy, wouldn't she? She loves Gale. She loves her so much. "You- it- it was well. It-" Jason sucks in a breath of air, pushing up his glasses with the palm of his hand. His palm feels warm with life. Wet with tears. "H-ha." "Ah- did. D-did Nat say anything about- me?" Please. @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Guilt lumps in her throat, choking her. “No- it’s- it’s not fair you sh-shouldn’t have to- I’m so sorry.” ’Did Nat say anything about me?’ She knew the truth, and like hell she was going to say it. “H-he said- Nathan said you guys were best friends. I- c-can I do anything? Um, last- last wish?” God, they were going to start crying too. This wasn’t fair. @kipology (edited)

"H-h.a. Better you than I." Liar. It hurts. "Best- best friends." He hopes Nathan's doing better. He's glad he isn't angry at him anymore. "That...that's nice. That's- thank you." "Last wish? Ah- ha. I don't know. I never thought...that far into things," Jason sighs, barely laughing. He swipes at his eyes frantically, trying to shake the water off his palm. "Mm- keep Ellie happy, I suppose. Though, I know you won't disappoint." "She likes- she likes apples. A lot. Tell her I'll miss her- and Nathan. I'll miss them both." Dearly. So much. "They're good kids." @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

A door neither Ace nor Gale had noticed, and Naiyta stepped through. It stepped up to Ace and placed a hand on his forhead. "Are you ready to go?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

“I will- I- I promise. I-“ Here comes Death. They stepped away from It, fear paling her face. (edited)

Mm. Lifebringer; Eternity incarnate. "I don't have much of a choice," Jason softly says, humorless and dry. He hopes Ellie isn't watching. The plinth feels cold underneath his hands. The fabric feels light against his skin. His glasses are starting to smudge. He sets it aside on the plinth. "What an inhospitable world I've found myself in," he mutters. Into the Fold, now. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Naiyta ever-so-gently pushed Ace into death, and watched, with unmasked dissapointment as he slumped to the ground. "Hm. Of course." They turned to Gale, then to the stands. "Victory to Gale! Victory to the Snakes!" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Her eyes followed Ace to the ground. The ringing in her ears clashed against its voice, her breath heavy as they tried to fight down the rising nausea clawing up their throat. He was dead. Just like that. ”…wh.. wh-where is Roy?” They couldn’t bare to look at it as she asked. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

They taste saltwater and lavender again. It feels kind. It feels like a new home, like a boat ride to Ninjago City. They shut their eyes as Naiyta pressed it's fingers against their skin. They wished they were a better son. A better friend. Not as foolish, not as stupid. Jason slumped to the ground, and fell silent. (edited)

2

A pair of attendants entered, and picked up Ace's body to bring him up to the temple. "Roy?" Naiyta repeated callously. "He's dead." @Sauce | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

’He’s dead.’ He’s dead. Roy’s dead. He’s gone, he’s not- ‘It’s been over a year, Gale, he’s not coming back. Just move on already-‘ Gale fell to their knees, fingers clawing into the hardwood as they let out a choked sob.