GULGALLANA

[soulping]

Comments

ROUND 1

[soulping]

[You find yourselves standing in a very small, very white room. Your clothes are dry, you are dry, but you swear you can feel the heavy sway of water weighing upon your limbs. At least the temperature is normal, and you’re breathing just fine.

In the middle of the room is a white pedestal, on top of which you find two glass spheres: one large, and one small. There are no exits.]

What will you choose, my darling dears? If you’d like to earn two keys, destroy the larger. If you’d like to earn one, destroy the smaller. You cannot earn three.

Or perhaps you’d prefer that another team to undergo the trial in your place …? If so, merely speak the team’s name, clearly and purposefully, before destroying your sphere of choice. Ah! Unfortunately, the Cats are not an option.

Re: ROUND 1

[debate_avenger]

And of course, we can't tell what we're agreeing to until we choose it.

Re: ROUND 1

[beathach]

[well that . . . was a thing. He listens carefully, then blows out a sigh]

Re: ROUND 1

[burningpockets]

[oh wow if i end up drowning it will be all kinds of hilarious]

...What do you think we should do?

Re: ROUND 1

[debate_avenger]

If we need six keys to live, we're going to have to do at least one set of the two keys. It's probably best to get it out of the way as soon as possible - It's likely that the trials won't be too bad this early, but will escalate quickly.

Re: ROUND 1

[cihuatlatoani]

I wonder. Shall we try to win? Or merely endure?

Re: ROUND 1

[debate_avenger]

Personally, I would prefer to endure. Let's not exert more effort than necessary, since it's only going to make Nyssa stronger in the long run.

Re: ROUND 1

[burningpockets]

I see no reason to bring about any more harm to either ourselves or others than absolutely necessary.

Decision

[debate_avenger]

Then, let's see what we have to deal with for the first round...

[We're smashing the larger sphere.]

[soulping]

[Amongst the broken shards of glass, you find a small crystal vial full of red, blood-like liquid. There’s barely enough for a single mouthful …]

Drink, and earn your keys.

ROUND 2

[soulping]

[You find yourself standing in another very small, very white room. The heaviness lingers … and is it just you, or can you feel a niggling tightness in your chest? A difficulty drawing breath? Maybe, just maybe, just for a second here and there, you feel water in your mouth and nose ... But there's nothing there.

Once again, there’s a pedestal in the middle of the room, but now there are three spheres upon it: one large, one small — and another small one, this one featuring frosted glass whiskers.

A member of the Cat team is leashed to the pedestal, by a long, deceptively-delicate looking silver chain. The chain is attached to a silver collar; it doesn’t look like there’s a way to remove it.]

This time, my doves, you may choose to undertake either one trial … or two! What will you do? And who will reap the benefit of your arduous labours …? There are three keys available to you here.

You may, of course — if you have not already done so — choose to pass one trial along to another team.

((In this round, you may do one of the following:
- Break one of the regular spheres, either the large or the small.
- Break one of the regular spheres, and the whiskered sphere.
- Break only the whiskered sphere.

If you break the whiskered sphere, you may choose to donate that key to the Cat. You can also choose to keep it for yourself! No other keys can be donated to the Cat. The Cat can choose to help with the trial … or you could try to force them ;D))

A surprise for you ...

[soulping]

[One of you will notice sudden, stabbing pains spreading throughout your body, the worst of them centered around your ribs and lungs. It’s getting harder to breathe … and as time goes by, coughs will come, light at first but steadily intensifying. By the start of the third round, you’ll be coughing up blood. It looks like one of the other teams targeted you ...]

[beathach]

[ah, well, that's super great. Hank is doubling over, putting a hand to his chest with a pained noise]

[youfilth]

[ A LONG-SUFFERING SIGH. ]

Surprise, surprise. Well now, let's get to work. Or, rather, you lot will. I'm just here to... look pretty. Which I am very good at, mind you.

[debate_avenger]

Either way, welcome to Gulgallana for the time being. What's the situation for the cats, if you can say?

Re: ROUND 2

[burningpockets]

[never mind me i'll be over here coughing up blood]

Decision

[debate_avenger]

Well, this is probably the best way of doing things...

[We're breaking the large sphere and the whiskered sphere.]

ROUND 3

[soulping]

[Welcome to yet another very small, very white room. You’re wracked by icy shivers, even though you know — you know — that it’s pleasantly warm in here. You know that you can’t breathe, that there’s water in your mouth, nose, ears, in your throat, choking you; that the water is weighing you down —

You’re in a very small, very white room, with a pedestal bearing two spheres: one large, one small. You can breathe. You’re not drowning. You’re okay. Right?]

Just like the first round, my darlings! You may earn two keys, or one — make your choices wisely.

Re: ROUND 3

[debate_avenger]

[Well, this is kind of a mixture of various things I really don't have to deal with normally, but i can take it. I still find it seriously uncomfortable, though.]

Now then, from here on, we should be able to last just by taking the small ones.

Re: ROUND 3

[beathach]

[NO HE IS NOT OKAY bracing a hand against the wall as he starts coughing. Those sure sound terrible.

And oh look, blood! That's awesome]

Re: ROUND 3

[cihuatlatoani]

[Montage is sitting on the floor, groaning quietly in pain, blood still smeared all over her face. Her breathing is rather ragged, and this drowning feeling is just making everything worse.]

Re: ROUND 3

[debate_avenger]

Now then, if we just keep at this, we should clear the target just in time.

[We're breaking the small sphere, yes.]

ROUND 4

[soulping]

♬

[You’re going to run out of air. You know that, now, though the sensations come and go. You need to get out; there’s not long left until you drown.

Not long left until before you drown, in a very small, very white room, with a pedestal standing in the center. Set atop of it are two spheres: one large, and one small.]

You know what to do ♥

Re: ROUND 4

[debate_avenger]

[Well, we really don't have time to waste. Just immediately smashing that small sphere and grabbing whatever else is in there without really looking at it.]

...

[soulping]

[Your final keys—or key, singular—appear, leaving you with a total of: 6]

[Head to ENDGAME]