The Fifteenth Trial: Clover

[hot_mess_express]

The weird castle/steampunk aesthetic continues in the room, but there’s a bit more of an almost… Prop, vibe to the room. Everything feels real, the stone and the wood are solid, but there’s a certain look like it was taken right out of a fifth grade play with princesses and dragons in the way the stone walls are built, and even the gothic iron window looks vaguely cartoonish.

The room is large, and at one end is a set of five tables, each with the names and colors of the other teams.

Directly in front of you on another table is a big scroll. A quill pen and ink pot sit next to it.

A vase of lycoris and moon lilies decorates the table. There are chairs and couches if you want to sit.

Comments

Round 1

[hot_mess_express]

Thus reads the scroll on the table:

From the traits below, pick four that you believe your team as a whole exhibits the most strongly. You need only circle the words. Choosing more will do nothing, and the first four words circled will be the ones that are considered chosen. Attempting to cross out or underline a word will be the same as circling it.

Traits

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Courageous
Strong
Cunning
Charitable
Just
Noble
Chivalrous
Kind
Aggressive
Humble
Useless
Lazy
Perverse
Wise
Academic
Spiteful
Rowdy
Sadistic
Masochistic
Tired

Decision

[hot_mess_express]

[Please turn in the words in order of most fitting to least, or in whatever order your team interacted with them if they were chosen randomly or on accident somehow.]

Re: Decision

[schrodingerscockroach]

Spiteful, tired, useless, kind.

Discussion

[hot_mess_express]

Re: Discussion

[fuckyew]

...is this one of those trial things?

[squints at the words. squints at the team. squints back at the words.]

[survivaltricks]

[








]

Sooooo, is this where we get to know each other?

Re: Discussion

[schrodingerscockroach]

[HERE IS YOUR RESIDENT SOCIAL BUTTERFLY AND]

[Well]

[God, what fits our team.]

[clerically]

Doomed isn't on the list, which is a problem because we barely...

[Wait is that an even newer person???]

Round 2

[hot_mess_express]

Five of the following objects correspond to one each of the other teams. There are extra objects that correspond to no team. Using what you know of the other teams, select the correct object to send to that team.

Only one object may be sent to each team.

There is only one correct object to send per team.

Choosing a correct object but sending it to the incorrect team will still count as an incorrect choice.

To send an object to a team, you must place it on the table for that team.

Objects

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The objects that appear on the table are:

an unchecked to-do list

a gold crown

a steel sword

a ball gag

a sugar bowl filled with salt

a book on philosophy

a pillow

rock'em sock'em robots

a medal

Decision

[hot_mess_express]

[List the objects chosen alongside the teams you are sending them to.]

Re: Decision

[schrodingerscockroach]

Steel sword for Ginger

Book on philosophy for Thyme

Ball gag for Jasmine

Gold crown for Senna

A pillow for Licorice

Discussion

[hot_mess_express]

Re: Discussion

[schrodingerscockroach]

[Hmmmm]

[HMMMMMM]

Steel sword is Ginger.

Re: Discussion

[fuckyew]

[Stares at the objects.]

[survivaltricks]

[welp]

Hhhhha.

[clerically]

A sugar bowl filled with salt sounds mean... if I can't help with matching with teams we can at least do what trait goes with what object.

Re: Discussion

[rolebreaker]

... it's likely everything corresponds with one or two similar traits from the list we were given earlier.

The list is "Useless", gold crown "Noble", steel sword is likely "Courageous", ball gag is "Sadistic" or "Masochistic", the philosophy book is "Academic", the pillow is "Lazy", the robots are "Rowdy" or "Aggressive", and the medal is likely "Strong".

As for the bowl... [ well he's not going to put any of that in his mouth but, ] I'd say it's Spiteful.

[ let's work from there ]

Re: Discussion

[schrodingerscockroach]

All right, so what I think so far. [Because let's be honest, he may actually have the best idea out of all of y'all.]

Steel sword I'm sure is Ginger. Courageous, strong, just, chivalrous, aggressive, rowdy could fit with a sword and between Faito and Rean, those words are in their list.

The book for Thyme. Academic, wise, maybe humble. Eliza likely chose at least one of those and hopefully it works with other team members.

The ball gag for Jasmine because...listen, Midnight and I agree, it's that one.

I'm thinking the crown for Senna, though that's a lot more guessing. Noble, just, wise, maybe cunning, kind, or charitable depending on the symbolism. They're fancy and there's a sort of dignified air to them.

Licorice....Licorice is a little harder to call, and they're risky because my guesses are the pillow or the unchecked to do list. They're nice enough, but they aren't particularly driven. But the pillow is crossing over to our list.

Round 3

[hot_mess_express]

Results

[hot_mess_express]

Your chosen team trait: Spiteful

The object for that trait: A Sugar Bowl Filled with Salt

The objects you were sent:

A Medal

Rock'em Sock'em Robots

Sugar Bowl Filled with Salt

Rock'em Sock'em Robots

Rock'em Sock'em Robots

Conclusion

[hot_mess_express]

You have been sent four wrong objects.

The lights go out, abrupt, and the ground beneath you lights in a glowing circle of blood. Your movements are frozen, all you can do is breathe, and momentarily, if you so wish, scream.

There is no visible being in the room with you, but and invisible hand plunges into your chest, wraps around your still beating heart, and holds it in front of your eyes. You do not die. You find yourself suspended in this moment, watching as your heart is transformed into clockwork in front of you. You remain alive, even as the heart is hung around your neck on a chain, your own pendant, your own phylactery. Because your chest… Closes. You continue to… live? You can feel your heart beating--no, ticking, against your chest, and with your body now cold, it’s the only thing that gives you warmth.

You aren’t alive anymore. But you aren’t dead. Your heart is with you but not within you, and you feel… Hungry. Hungry for flesh, for blood, for the essence of the living. You are cold, and you desire warmth.

You can beat the madness and hunger of your new status as a lich, but it will take considerable will, though with time the effects may become more manageable.

Hearts can be returned to your chest but must be done so physically, by opening your chest again. Healing will also be painful regardless of magical abilities. To re-live, you must briefly die (actual death not required but it’ll feel that way). If you are Naeva just assume your bloodlust is at x100. If you are otherwise a ghost, robot, or spirit, well, now you’re a ghost, robot or spirit lich.

Additionally you may choose at least one status effect on top of your new undeath:

Level 1 Status effects

mini

frog (or other transmog eg. fairy, evil pepper, blade banana)

amnesia

charm (target whoever, can be multiple)

compulsion to tell the truth

Level 2 Status effects

gradual petrify (of somewhere non-fatal)

berserk

confuse (disoriented on who is friend or foe)

curse (skills and strength sealed/stats lowered)

fear

despair

hallucinate

poison (fever, illness, non-fatal)

Hey at least while you recover from all that and interact with your team there’s some music in the background.

Interact

[hot_mess_express]

You aren't allowed in endgame yet, so now's the time to have a good hangout with your teammates, however that's going for you right now.

Endgame

[hot_mess_express]

Some more piano to see you back.