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October Halloween Special: The Haunted House



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Sun Oct 27, 2013 1:29 pm
Rydia says...



Hello everyone and welcome to this month's official storybook: The Haunted House.

If you so choose to join us, you will play a character who has been invited to take part in the deadliest form of reality entertainment ever seen (though they might not know it yet).

On the planet of Rhaka, the ancient race of Rhakians are preparing for the launch of their annual show: 'In the House of Death' but the ratings are down and the public have deemed the show 'stale' and 'predictable'. This year it will be different. This year it will be 'exciting' and 'revolutionary' because this year the producer Tamsan has opened the game up to other contestants: contestants from other planets.

The Chameleons and Mandites, the Padfoots and Fleegurs; all of the Rhakians neighbours have been invited. There's something fishy afoot though because the Chameleons have gone out of their way to invite one of their neighbours as well: the humans.

Everyone knows the humans are the most primitive race - they aren't even aware that they share their planet with a race of superior intelligence, never mind that superior races actually exist. Until now they've been allowed their ignorance but a chameleon has disguised himself as a human going by the name of Ralph and he has offered five humans the challenge of a lifetime - £10,000 if they spend one week in a haunted house.

Of course, the house is really the Chameleon's designated entrance for the deadly games but the humans will find that out... soon enough.

The Plot

Alright so the low down is that there's a house rigged with all kinds of booby traps and scary things and the scariest of the things in there are the other contestants! The aim of the game is to make it to the top floor where the first ten survivors will be declared the winners. They will be whisked away to safety and all others will die in the most spectacular explosion ever.

The house is situated on the homeworld of Rhaka but there is a gateway on each planet which leads those who enter to the real house. So everyone is in the same place and everyone has to fight for their survival or very carefully select a group of allies.

The competition officially lasts for a week but in reality will go on until ten people have made it out. Sometimes this takes longer, once it happened in a single night.

The Characters

Please choose a character from one of the following races - there are three slots for each, though there will be many more players in the house (but only five humans). You will find more information on the races if you scroll down:

Rhakians
1. Blackwood
2.
3.

Chameleons
1. "Ralph" played by Rydia - currently disguised as a human.
2. SageN
3.

Mandites
1.
2.
3.

Padfoots
1. Birkhoff
2.
3.

Fleegurs
1.
2.
3.

Humans
1. Iggy
2. Dante
3. Elinor Brynn
4.
5.

The Races

Rhakians: From the planet Rhaka, the rhakians are a lizard-like race of people who are a little larger and bulkier than the average human. Most stand at between six and seven foot and they have scaly skin which comes in a variety of colours and shades: red, orange, yellow, green and blue. rhakians are physically strong and have good eyesight and a mean sense of smell. They are, however, a clumsy race and move fastest when on all fours which limits their ability to defend themselves while on the run. Their best asset is perhaps their tail which they often use as a weapon. The rhakians know best what to expect from the games and will have likely studied past obstacles and strategies. They may even be returning champions.

Chameleons From the planet Earth, the chameleons are a small and unassuming race, not too distant from their cousin species the rhakians. Long ago, in the time of dinosaurs, an early evolution of the rhakians tried to colonise Earth but they struggled to adapt to the climate and despite their superior evolution, could not find a way to exert control over the planet's many other species. Over time they adapted into the race now known as chameleons: a race who have the ability to change their form in every way. They can change their skin to blend with their environment, or they can change their shape to mimic another race. In doing so they lose their ability to blend but gain all physical skills of the other races. They have not been able to copy magical or mental abilities. The chameleons will have heard of the games and may have occasionally watched them as they travel freely from planet to planet.

Mandites From the planet Rhaka, the mandites are a servant race bred to defend and care for the rhakians. They were chosen as the most intelligent of the sub races on the planet. Mandites are normally submissive in nature but a few are occasionally born with violent tendencies or an apparent need to rise above their station. The mandites most often move around on all fours and somewhat resemble the Earth species known as the polar bear. Their thick, warm coats can vary in colour from pale teals to gentle lilacs or pretty much any pastel shade. They are on occasion white, though this is a less desired colour by most rhakian owners. Mandites are physically strong, more so than the rhakians (but less intelligent and less aggressive), and are trained to fight. The mandites will have a good awareness of the game and may have seen some episodes while serving their owners. They have never before been invited to join in but this year Tamsan pledged to buy any mandite who wished to enter the games and most owners were willing to agree.

Padfoots From the planet Cantor, the padfoots are a race which resemble the platypus, except in the detail of their feet which are much hairier and less webbed than the platypus. They are a more earth bound race, though they do enjoy a gentle swim. Padfoots move slowly but often silently and are small and agile creatures. The padfoots have the advantage of magic on their side and can cast some small elemental spells - both earth and water based magic. They know little of the games, except that it has become very popular on the neighbouring planet. Some very few may have watched a game when visiting but sight-seeing is a more common tourist activity. The padfoots are not a very strong race or fast but their spells can have a devastating effect. However, the padfoots have a limited amount of magic to use and replenish their magic from the water of their home planet. Without that present in the house, they will be reluctant to use their powers except when necessary and will most likely try to team up with someone bigger for protection.

Fleegurs From the planet Cantor, the fleegurs are as bound to the elements as their padfoot friends. They are an aerial race with large, graceful wings and hooked beeks, closely resembling the albatross. Though they are small and not very gainly on the ground, the fleegur makes up for this with their control of the air around them. They also have a limited control over thermals and from this over the heat in the air, enough to heat up a room and to set fire to more flammable objects. They know little of the games, except that it has become very popular on the neighbouring planet. Some very few may have watched a game when visiting but sight-seeing is a more common tourist activity. The fleegurs are a very aloof and suspicious race but more likely to trust the padfoots than any others.

Humans If you don't know what a human is, you really need to get out more... please remember the humans know nothing of the other races (except a very basic knowledge of chameleons) and are very much going in blind.

Character Template

Code: Select all
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]

[b]Appearance:[/b]

[b]History/ Why are they competing in the game-show?:[/b]

[b]Personality:[/b]

[b]Strengths:[/b]

[b]Weaknesses:[/b]
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Sun Nov 03, 2013 3:55 pm
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Rydia says...



Aurus Nightling

It was a strange thing being Ralph, something you never quite got used to. Aurus could see in the shiny surface of the bar top that he looked like a human and from the way those girls were eyeing him up then he guessed that he smelled like a human, but he sure didn't feel like one. The chameleon stood up from the bar and set down his empty glass. He flicked out his tongue in appreciation of the young womens' attention but they seemed to find this behaviour strange and backed away from him. Note to self: stick to the hand waving.

Aurus had been studying humans most of his life so you'd think it would be easy to act like one. Turns out though, there's a big difference between knowing how you ought to be acting and actually remembering to do it. Ah well, in just an hour or two, he'd be safe inside the house, or as safe as you got in a house rigged up to be the location of the deadliest game show this side of the nebula.

"Hey, hi. Thanks for being here." If there was one thing Aurus had done right, it was getting all these humans with their flashy cameras gathered outside of the house tonight. And all he'd had to do was tell them a shortened version of the truth: that this was a game-show and that he was giving a big prize to every contestant who stayed the whole night. Speaking of which, they were starting to arrive.

As the first of the black cabs pulled up, Aurus straightened his glasses and stepped forward to meet the blonde girl stepping out.

"Hello, hi. Glad you could be here." Aurus flashed her a smile and waved his hand in the human ritual of saying hello. "I'm Ralph and I'm going to be your leader for tonight. That is, errr- I mean to say your host." Aurus gave an uneasy laugh as the other humans stepped out of their own black cabs and gathered around.

"So we stay in that house and you give us the cash?" one of them asked a little warily.

"That's right, nice and easy!"

"And there's not going to be any tricks, no cards up your sleeve eh?"

"Nothing like that, I can assure you!" Aurus put his hands up as he tried to convince them all. "It's just a week in a haunted house and to show you good faith, I'm going to be right in there with you."

"And the camera crew?" Aurus turned to this next speaker and found that it was the young blonde human. He gave her an easy smile and nodded.

"Sure, an the camera crew. They'll be joining us in the evening though. Now if you'll just come with me and we'll get settled inside the house-" This was it. All they had to do was get inside that house before the portal closed and he'd be home free. The chameleons were certainly already inside - they would have entered during the night when there weren't any humans around.

"Please, if you'll follow me."
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~Previously KittyKatSparklesExplosion15~

The light shines brightest in the darkest places.





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Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:12 am
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birk says...



Baal Fishmas

At an adjacent entrance to the mansion, Baal Fishmas arrives along with an envoy of Padfoots as well as the Mandites and a couple of fleegurs.

There to greet them is Farshar Omn, host of “In the House of Death”, the longest running game show on the planet.

“Welcome to the House of Fluffy Bunnies!” He gestured towards a person in a bunny costume behind him, who in turn raised their hands in the air. A dimwitted Mandite pumped his fist in return. Idiot, Baal thought to himself, as the slow minded Mandites were completely unaware of the true nature of the show.

“My fluffy associates will show you to your rooms; please stash your belongings there and meet up with the other contestants in the dining hall.” And with that, Farshar left us with the costume clad assistants and a camera crew now followed them through the halls of the giant mansion.

Finally standing in his own bedroom, Baal put his suitcase on the bed, reached into it and pulled out a small vial and quickly stuffed it in his furry pouch. He continues to ruffle through the suitcase, deciding he doesn’t need his vitamin pills, though he does grab his glasses. Outside, an assistant gestures him to follow once he exits the room.

Within minutes, Baal had been grouped up with the rest of the arrivals and they were headed to the main dining hall. Among them was his friend Jeffrey, a fleegur he had befriended back on Cantor.

“Any idea what is going to happen next?” He inquired.

“I’m not sure. We’re being handheld all the time, so my original plans got jumbled. I guess I’ll just go with the flow now.” Baal peeked over his shoulder to see the escorts following closely behind.

He was, along with the rest of the padfoots and the fleegurs, holding up the rest of the group due to their size. Even though they both tried to hasten their pace, they could tell the Mandites behind them were getting restless.

Once in the main dining hall, they were met with shocked looks and piercing screams.

“What the hell is that!?” Two human males exclaimed, as a young blonde woman screamed her lungs out.

Baal and his convoy froze immediately.

“Everybody calm down! You’re about to find out what is going on, alright?!” Another of the handsome men yelled loudly.

For several moments there was silence.

Finally, a voice over a loudspeaker announced to them:

“We realize many of you are confused, so we shall make this simple. This is not the game show you thought it was. This entire house is a deathtrap, and we challenge each of you to make it to the top floor. The first ten of you who manages this, will be awarded handsomely. And those of you who don’t; will die.”

As the voice faded, silence again fell upon the room. As though preparing for an epic battle, Baal went over spells in his mind, awaiting any sudden moves around him.

A couple of minutes went by before something happened. Once again, the voice through the loudspeakers filled the room:

“One final thing before we go live; it has come to our attention that one of you, under the name of Ralph, has brought Humans of Earth to this event. This is not allowed, but as you are most likely going to die, we’ll let it play out. So again, responsible for your likely demise is Ralph. Do with that what you will.”

The speakers faded.

“Son of a bitch!” One of the men exclaimed.

He was not alone in cursing his name; as anger and panic spread, they frantically searched the room for him. But Ralph was already gone.

Before anyone had time to react further, several traps in the dining room were sprung.

A Mandite was crushed by a chandelier falling from the ceiling, and almost all of the fleegurs were killed instantaneously. As they during the chaos had taken to flight, they were impaled by erupting spikes and stricken by falling objects.

All save for Jeffrey, the close friend of Baal. He was, however, quite injured. And despite his best efforts to save his life, Baal had to watch his friend die.

Though filled with rage, he quickly got to his feet and out of immediate harm. The entire gathering had spread out and escaped in several directions. Baal chose to go out a side door instead of returning back through the entrance they first came in.

Stumbling along as quickly as he could, he caught glimpse of a shadow going round a corner. To him, it looked like Ralph. He hastened his speed.

Once he rounded the corner however, there was no sight of him. There was a small child though.

“Can you help me?” She asked carefully.

“What? Who are you?” Baal asked quickly.

She seemed to pause before she answered; “Angela.”

“I know it’s you Ralph, reveal yourself.” Baal tapped his foot as though annoyed.

Within seconds, the little girl in front of him began to shine faintly and the entire form changed into that of a small boy.

“I believe you’ve made a mistake, little beaver. I’m just a small boy.” He smiled from ear to ear.

He began to stroll away, “Anyhow, you just stepped on a cluster of claymore mines. Good luck with that.”

Slowly checking his footing, Baal could confirm that he had indeed stepped right into a trap. As fear gripped him, he began to conjure up something between his hands. His eyes shone brightly.

“Wait, come back!” He yelled after the small boy.

Ahead of him, the young boy turned towards him again; “Why would I do that?”

Baal’s eyes returned to normal and he cradled the object in his arms tightly;

“Because I have a jar of dirt.”
"I never saved anything for the swim back."


Do not mistake coincidence for fate. - Mr Eko

they're selling razor blades and mirrors in the street





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Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:19 am
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Basil says...



Loui

As the house begins to shake, I drop to the ground, my form blinking out of view. I watch as the humans instantly spread out, running down different halls. The human named Ralph appears somewhere nearby, and darts down a hall. A platypus looking creature goes down another hall, and I’m left in a shaking room full of dead bodies. I have no idea where the other races have gone to.
My shape changes to the customary human one, and dart down a hall. I notice the platypus creature staring down a human looking boy. Instantly, I can tell it’s the chameleon that was playing as Ralph. The platypus creature is holding a jar of dirt, and instantly my curiosity is piqued. I stride toward the two, but stop when I notice the rigid stance of the platypus creature.
“Hey!” I call.
Both creatures turn to me, and the boy being played by the chameleon dashes away.
“Can you help me?” The platypus creature asks.
“How can I help you?” I ask, taking a couple of steps forward. I then notice a cluster of mines of the ground. I look at the platypus creature. “Can you trust me?”
He looks around suspiciously, probably assuming I’m tricking him. He looks back at me, and just stares at me, blinking,
I wring my hands. This is harder than I first thought. “I’m Louey, but um … you can say Loui, like, without pronouncing the last two letters …” I trail off, seeing how I’ve lost him. I damn my lack of social skills. “This isn’t working, is it?” I ask.
He chuckles. “Ok, I trust you.” He looks around again. “For now.”
I smile widely and my shape changes to that of a fleegur. I lift into the air, grab hold of the platypus creature, and then dart back down the hall. The explosion goes off, and we go speeding through the hall. I quickly shift my shape again to a lizard like creature with a human shape, slender and thin, with black scales. I twist around in the air, and land on my back, the platypus creature cradled in my arms. When I stop sliding, I let the platypus creature go, get up, and change back to my human form. I smile at him, rubbing at my back.
“Baal,” the platypus creature says, holding out a webbed forefoot.
I take it and shake slowly. “Yeah, nice to meet you. I’m Louey …”
“We’ve been over this, haven’t we?” Baal says with a smile.
I let go of his forefoot. “Yeah. Just call me Loui,” I say, trying to smile.
Baal nods. “Well, thanks for saving me anyway,” he says.
“Yeah, any time,” I smile wider, and notice this time it works.
“What now?” Baal asks.
I’m about to answer by saying ‘I don’t know’, but a large lizard on two legs comes sprinting into the room, followed by a ball of flame. Suddenly the house goes up in shrieks, and there are screams from all through the house.
Dorian, are you the one adding all the spices to our food?
Of course I am.
Why?
Because frankly the food here tastes like poorly cooked sawdust. It genuinely tastes how Solas looks.





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Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:19 pm
Rydia says...



Aurus Nightling

The small boy who had been Ralph (but now needed a new identity) considered the jar of dirt for a moment. It wasn't that he wanted a jar of dirt, but rather that the padfoot must have some knowledge of humans to even be offering such an item and not only that, but knowledge of the particular human Aurus had decided to emulate and- nah! It was curiosity that had got him wound up in this in the first place so Aurus bolted around the corner.

He was still curious though. Aurus ran off a string of curses unsuitable for his young form as he ran through the next room and tried to think of his next move. He wanted to go back to the group of humans. He wanted to watch them and see how they coped but oh no, the hosts had to go and ruin his carefully laid plans.

Aurus found a camera and blew a sloppy raspberry at it.

"What are you doing?"

The small boy spun around and tried to look innocent. "Nothing. I don't know. What are you doing?" Stairs, stairs. He had to find some stairs!

"Looking for allies." The creature's eyes narrowed but Aurus wasn't paying it much attention. He didn't need allies!

And then there were two very unwelcome people in the room.

"You!" The padfoot didn't look happy as he and his new female companion strode toward him.

"Looks like you're better at finding enemies," the other creature smirked.

Aurus backed off a step and then decided the small boy look wasn't working so he changed himself into a large and powerful Rhakian. He flicked his lizard tongue and then pointed a claw behind the trio.

"Oh look, what's that there?" Aurus smirked as there was a sudden click click click of cogs moving and a hiss of gas being released into the room. "I don't know about you, but-" Time to get out of here!

There was another hall and Aurus darted through, pulling his shirt up over his mouth. The hall was opening out and Aurus could see a stairway! Yeah! The only thing was, it was flowing with lava which collected in a pool at the bottom and a dangerous looking Rhakian was trying to make a bridge out of bodies. Uh-
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~Previously KittyKatSparklesExplosion15~

The light shines brightest in the darkest places.








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