100 HP MAX HP 100 EN MAX EN There was some irony in the fact that, only a week prior, Magdalyn had been talking to Harveste about corn mazes. She had thought they were approaching a maze, but instead, it was a labyrinth. Labyrinths, the Faerin had explained, were something entirely different. Truthfully, Mags had been disappointed by the fact she did not have an actual puzzle to solve, or path to blaze. Labyrinths were meant to calm the mind, while mazes were meant to work them. So when the Dark Harvest Faire had advertised their corn maze, Mags knew it was something she absolutely had to do. She had even talked her new friend Jomei into joining her, though, truth be told, he did not take much convincing. After their first mission together, she knew he enjoyed the adventure just as much as she did. Besides, the cool air and challenge might help him clear his head after the time they had spent in the beer tent. She had downed a few herself, but there was no flush of consumed alcohol on her cheeks. There were so many reasons why she wanted to conquer the maze. The offered reward, one hundred gold, would certainly be nice; it would be a great leap forward in her quest to acquire her own farm. But at the end of the day, she was mostly excited to engage in an activity that had always entertained her, even in the real world. To better suit the occasion, Mags had changed out of her festive costume. The flowing dress was beautiful, but it would certainly get in the way as she hurried through the narrow pathways. Now outfitted in boots, breeches, and a loose-fitting tunic, she felt more ready than ever to tackle the challenge ahead of her. She had even taken the time to pull back her mop of blue hair, keeping it out of her face so that she could better concentrate. Voices carried from inside the maze, rising above the din of the distant food court. The sound only fed the mounting anticipation. “I can’t wait anymore,” she confessed to Jomei, who stood beside her. “I know we should let the other party get ahead of us, but I’m too excited.” She flashed him a grin, then began to stride toward the maze’s entrance. Her gait was not quite a run, but certainly no leisurely walk either. @Jomei Navigating the Maze / Roll 84 + 0 = 84 Maze Progress: 84 / 500
100 HP MAX HP 100 EN MAX EN "I think I should just... sit down.." The drunk Yladian made his way out of the tent where Ale King was being held and sat down on a nearby bench. The man knew he had drank more than he should have, and he was already feeling some of the negative effects creep up on him, especially the stiffness in his head that slowly crept up on him. He let his head fall back, staring at the dimly lit sky above him, his eyes closed and letting the crisp fall air do its job to, hopefully, sober him up a bit. That was, until, he heard a familiar voice in front of him. Picking his head back up, he saw the azure haired, Magdalyn, standing above him with a smile on her face. She had changed from the flowing dress she wore earlier, which Jomei had to admit he enjoyed seeing on the girl. She told him about another of the Faire's games, a giant corn maze, and she wanted him to be her partner for the adventure. Despite being stuck in the purgatory between drunk and a hangover, the man could not turn down another adventure with Mags. "Lets do it." the man said with a smirk, raising to his feet. As they waited to enter, Jomei could see the excitement rising up in Mags as they waited for the group ahead of them to gain a little bit of distance before they entered. However, the anticipation seemed to eat away at her too much, and she gave in and hurried into the maze, Jomei following closely behind. He chuckled, "Forget the other group. Lets see if we can hit that center before them." The two had made decent distance through the maze already, at least, it seemed that way. As they continued through, Jomei continuously felt a chill down his spine, one that definitely was not coming from the breeze that would occasionally nip at his exposed skin. It felt more like someone was watching him, and no matter how many times he would look over his shoulder, no one would be there. He took a step closer to Mags, "Do you feel that..? It feels like someone is following us.." Slowly looking over his shoulder one last time, Jomei saw the image of what seemed to be a tall, very thin person wearing a tight fighting cloak. The only other visible features were icy blue eyes that stared at the two. Instantly, the figure seemed to disappear again. "That answered that question" Jomei said with a shaky voice, stepping ahead of Mags to run from the entity, grabbing her hand as he tried to get away from the looming figure. Event: 5: Creeper Something creepy is now following you. If your party roll below a natural 30 next cycle, subtract 30 from that roll. Navigating the Maze / Roll 76 + 0 = 76 Maze Progress:160 / 500
100 HP MAX HP 100 EN MAX EN Magdalyn scampered behind Jomei, holding tightly to his hand as he dragged her along. The strange sensation of eyes on her back had also plagued her, sending goosebumps running up and down her arms, even as he asked about it. She, however, did not turn around as quickly as he did, so focused on the path ahead. Therefore, when she had finally swung around, she had only caught a glimpse of the man before he poofed out of existence. Even that brief vision had been enough to turn her stomach. She hated spooky, and that disappearing man was bordering on terrifying. She was tall, and he had looked to have even a few inches on her. Not to mention the fact that he was so incredibly thin. He had only seen him for a second, but she would swear that their follower was skin and bones beneath his royal blue clothing. What had he been? Just a person hired to scare them, and he had “disappeared” by stepping back into the corn? No, he had truly vanished, that much she could be sure of. The few glasses of ale she had consumed had not dulled her senses the way they had Jomei’s. “Why did they have to make this a haunted maze?” the girl growled as they finally slowed their pace. The last thing Magdalyn wanted to do was stop running, but mazes were not navigated while running fear-blind. The pair would need to slow down and think more carefully through their actions if they hoped to find their way out. “I mean, I know it goes with the theme,” she continued, shoving a hand through her hair, “but come on. Can’t we just focus on finding a way through, and celebrate when we make it? What’s the need for all this jumping-out-and-scaring-us crap?” The old excitement was still there, but it was clouded by the anxiety that had momentarily washed over her. So she scoffed, completely oblivious to the fact that she was still holding the boy’s hand. “I’m the worst, I know, but I never liked Halloween much. I don’t like being scared.” Navigating the Maze / Roll 41 + 0 = 41 Maze Progress: 201 / 500
100 HP MAX HP 100 EN MAX EN The crimson haired elf ran ahead of Magdalyn, at first terrified of the sight he saw following them, however his fear soon turned into excitement, as a smile pulled at the corners of his lips. He normally was not too fond of these types of mazes, with scares and frights around each corner, but that was just a mindset that he never would let himself out of. Now that he was actually in the experience, he found the fun in it. And if there was anything that was going to sober him up quickly, it was the adrenaline rush he now felt. Pulling the girl behind him, the two winded through the tall maze, not sure where they were going, but nothing they had ran past seemed too familiar, which was a good sign. They also had not run into any dead ends yet as well; another plus. At this point, Jomei did not feel the lasting feeling of a chill on the back of his neck, which caused him to slow his step so the two could catch their breath and find their way without worrying about the tall man. Jomei turned to look at Magdalyn, the smile still on his face as he let out a small laugh. "Well.. that was fun." he said, before looking down at the hand he still held in his own, his cheeks glowing with a light tint of pink. The look on her face did not look entirely pleased, and from what she said, she was not too much a fan of being scared. "Hey Mags, you alright?" he said, giving the girl's hand a small squeeze. "Seems like we lost him.. probably just a little scare to throw us off.. But it seems like we are still on the right track." Finally letting go of the girl's hand once she seemed to have gained her composure a bit more, he turned towards the various paths the two could take. A hand leading to his chin, he looked around in thought, trying to figure out which path seemed the best. "I'm gonna say this way." he said, pointing to a path that led down a narrow path of corn, before banking off to the right. He looked back to the woman, and gave her a playful wink, "Don't worry Miss Magdalyn, I'll protect you from the scary monsters." he said in a sarcastic tone before walking off again. Navigating the Maze / Roll 71 + 0 = 71 Maze Progress: 272 / 500
100 HP MAX HP 100 EN MAX EN Magdalyn nodded once, slowly. Then, she nodded a few more times, in rapid succession, to emphasize her point. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she assured him, waving a hand in the air as if to sweep away his concern. "I just hate being startled. And that seems to be everyone's favorite thing to do this time of year." She reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose, trying to regain her focus. She had been so incredibly excited to navigate the maze, and she still was, though the threat of being jumped by some Halloween-themed spook dampened the experience a bit. Right in the middle of her musings, Jomei promised to protect her from whatever it was they encountered. The air she had saved for a dramatic sigh instead escaped on a humored snort. "That's reassuring," she told him, rolling her blue eyes heavenward to express her sarcasm. But when her gaze returned to him, those same eyes were laughing. The mood was light again, but unfortunately, that did not last long. A rustling in the corn ahead of them froze the blood in Magdalyn's veins just as quickly as if she had been dunked in ice water. The breath she drew caught in her throat, and eyes the size of saucers stared at the space ahead of him. Had she not been entirely freaked out by the willowy man in the navy cloak, she might have first assumed it was someone cutting through the maze with the intent to cheat. But no, she was still pretty spooked, leading her mind to run with unbridled speed and fury, straight to the worst case scenario. Surprisingly, she was not far off. A hulking man stepped from the corn, only a few paces ahead of the pair. His shoulders were massive, and hunched inward, as if his enormous head was too heavy to carry. His skin was a blotchy white, pale, and sickly. His clothes, too small for his giant frame, were torn and frayed. And the eyes that turned to face them were black, bottomless pits. Add a goalie mask, and Mags suspected she had just stumbled upon Terrasphere's equivalent of Jason Voorhees. "A-alright, gallant protector." There was no keeping the waver from her voice. "Go do some protecting." Why did it have to be Halloween? Navigating the Maze / Roll / Event Creeper summoned for next turn. 36 + 0 = 36 Maze Progress: 308 / 500
90 HP MAX HP 90 EN MAX EN "Hey." Jomei said with a shrug and a small chuckle, "I may just be teasing you, but its also true." His voice was serious, yet said with a warm smile. This was not his second day out in the field, so he knew how to defend himself and others with his archery skills. "I'll protect you if I have to." What the two were not expecting, was for that situation to arise sooner than expected. The tall bundles of corn just ahead of them began to shake violently, as if someone.. or something.. was trying to pass through. Jomei did not think it could be a player.. they would most likely be disqualified and kicked out of the maze for trying to cheat. Was it the hooded creature that stalked them before? Despite, Jomei did not hesitate to draw his bow and quiver from his inventory, and place himself in front of Mags. From the bushels of maize came a large humanoid creature, the hulking frame almost looking like a failed crossbreed between an ogre and a man. It stared at the two in front of him with black voids for eyes, its skin matching the cold, dead feeling the eyes gave off. Jomei did not hesitate to draw back the string of his bow before releasing it, letting his arrow fly towards his target. The pointed tip pierced into the chest of the creature, a low gurgle sounding out as it stumbled back a step. Looking down at the arrow, it slowly looked back up at Jomei, who had already prepped and fired a second arrow, this one striking true in his thigh. This time, the man did not stumble or show pain, but instead growled and ran forward at the two players. Jomei's eyes went wide when he realized just how much taller this thing was than him. Quickly turning around, Jomei pushed Mags out of the way of the oncoming pummeling he was about to receive. As the Yladian could fully turned all the way around, a fist the size of his head met his gut, all the wind in him being knocked out as he was lifted a foot off the ground. Fighting Monster / Roll 34 + 10(Trained) = 44 Creeper: 106 / 150
90 HP MAX HP 90 EN MAX EN Magdalyn winced as the meaty hand struck Jomei's midsection, sending him flying toward the corn on the other side of the path. He landed among the long stalks, their drying leaves rustling as he nestled there. The thud of his rear end striking the earth was audible, even given the soft earth and the drifting sounds of the crowd. She assumed it would take him a moment to recover, especially given his drunken state. In fact, she would be impressed if he found his feet again at all. Her sister often drank too many beers, and if she took that hard of a hit, she would be likely to curl up on the ground and take a nap. Would Jomei do the same? Regardless, it was up to her to do something about the monster. She had to summon her spear, considering she had not equipped it before entering the maze. Why would she need a weapon in a corn maze, right? Fortunately, the hulking man was content staring down at Jomei's prone form for a few seconds, allowing her time to access her menu. Once her weapon was safely in her hands, she lunged, jabbing the sharp end in his face. "Back off, you Frankenstein-looking freak," she barked, surprising herself by the violence in her tone. If she could offer threats, and pause to reflect on how horrifically twisted the man's face was up close, she was not as paralyzed with fear as she thought. No, she could get her act together, now that the jump-scare was over. Now, it was just a fight, and she had fought before. East Wall had seen far greater foes than this. The beast's reply was a grunt, and a lumbering step toward her. Jomei, it seemed, was forgotten. Good. With the monster turned to face her, she had easy access to his wide, barrel chest. She shoved her spear's point deep into his tough flesh. Fighting Monster / Roll 66 + 10 = 76 Creeper: 30 / 150
80 HP MAX HP 80 EN MAX EN The sky was spinning, the ground was spinning.. everything was spinning. Not only had that punch knocked him back a couple of feet, but the mass amounts of alcohol from earlier already put his head in a twisted state. Note to self, don't get into a fight with someone bigger than you when you're hungover.. or drunk.. or whatever the hell Jomei was at this point. Placing his free hand on his temple, the man sat up and saw that Mags had taken the monster's focus off of him, and left him focused on her. Pushing the pain in his head and gut aside, Jomei threw himself to a kneeling position and pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back. He rested the wooden projectile along the string of his bow, and pulled it back along his shoulder. It was a bit difficult to aim when his head was spinning, but he tried his best. He said he would protect Mags, and he meant it. "Hey! Meathead!" Jomei called out, before releasing his finger and launching the arrow. The weapon went whirring through the air, before finding its place directly in the nape of the large creature's neck. Standing frozen for a moment, its face became more lifeless than it already had seemed before it collapsed to the side. The crimson haired elf rose to his feet, and placed the bow back along the quiver before walking up to Magdalyn, an arm stretched across his gut, trying to hold in whatever he had drank. After taking a few deep breaths, he stood up straight and looked at the woman, "Told you." he said with a smirk, regarding trying to protect her. "Thanks for getting that thing off me.. probably would have pummeled me into the ground if he had the chance." Fighting Monster / Roll 51 + 10 = 61 Monster Name: 0 / 150
90 HP MAX HP 90 EN MAX EN No problem," she told him, shrugging as if it truly had been an everyday ordeal. But the truth was, her hands were still trembling slightly as she slid the spear back into its sling. Of course, Magdalyn had seen far worse horrors while in Terrasphere. The war, and the hold of east wall, had shown her things that still haunted her dreams. The lifeless bodies, the wide-eyed stares, the blood - there had been so much blood. This was different. Though she knew, deep down, that Jomei was never in danger, she had still felt true fear for her new friend. Being close to him made watching him fight just a bit more frightening. Plus, the surprise appearance of the monster, and the mysterious disappearance of the blue-cloaked figure, had her pulse racing. Together, they moved on, carefully skirting the fallen body of the creeper. As they walked, the ginger-haired archer kept one arm pressed to his midsection, a fact that was not lost on Mags. His discomfort, and her frayed nerves, meant they moved a bit slower than they had before. The cool autumn breeze whispered through the stalk's dry leaves, a murmuring of disembodied voices that only contributed to the spooky atmosphere. "Hey," Magdalyn stated, her voice soft with concern, "you don't look so good." Her fingertips grazed his elbow as she reached for him, providing a gentle touch meant to both express her worry and get his attention. "Are you sure you're up for continuing? I don't mind heading back the way we came, if you need to." Had she been wrong to bring him along? He had consumed a whole lot of alcohol, a fact she knew well. If anything happened to him, blame would fall squarely at her own feet. Navigating the Maze / Roll 12 + 0 = 12 Maze Progress: 320 / 500
80 HP MAX HP 80 EN MAX EN With the Creeper monster now dead, the two continued on through the maze. The blow that Jomei had taken during the fight was not much, and under normal circumstances, he would have just walked it off and been fine. However, the man's stomach was filled with more barley, hops, and alcohol than he may have ever consumed in a year. His stomach had already been churning from the heavy drink, and the blow to the stomach just stirred the pot. This pain caused them to continue at a slightly slower pace. Jomei's hunched over expression and pain caused for concern in Mags voice, as her fingers gently grazed against Jomei's elbow to get his attention. She suggested the possibility of heading back so he could rest up, possibly seek medical attention. Jomei looked over at the woman with a smirk, shaking his head. He then stood up straight and took his hand from his stomach, taking a quick deep breath to try and ignore the fact that he wanted to just throw up and sleep for a few hours. "After seeing how excited you were to come in here in the first place? Heh, not a chance." the man said with a chuckle. "I'll be fine. Its my own fault for drinking that much ale. We're gonna finish this, don't worry about me. the pain will probably go away as my health regenerates anyway." The farther they got into the maze, twists, turns and dead ends became a bit more frequent. "We must be getting close to the end.." Jomei said as they continued forward around another corner, the path becoming significantly more narrow. Navigating the Maze / Roll 29 + 0 = 29 Maze Progress: 349 / 500
90 HP MAX HP 90 EN MAX EN "Bah," Magdalyn scoffed, shaking her head. "I get excited about a lot of things. No need to let that persuade you into bad ideas." Her smile was small, but genuine, as she kept her hand on Jomei's elbow. The physical contact was meant to offer some comfort, keeping him upright, in case he was going to fall again. She could also steer him in the right direction as he sobered up a bit. But the connection to him also benefited her as well, as it grounded her, and helped distract her from the spooky atmosphere. Mags nodded as Jomei commented on their approaching destination. "The path is definitely getting narrower, too. You're probably right, we're getting closer." Another cool breeze blew down the path, carrying upon it the rich scent of churned earth. The woman appreciated that smell, and as she filled her lungs once more, she momentarily closed her eyes. "I'm up way past my bedtime," she murmured. "But this does inspire me to keep working toward my own farm." Once, she had been ashamed to tell the redhead about her dream, but their hours spent together had dulled that. Now, as she considered him a friend, conversations like this came much easier. "Wonder if I can get a job somewhere around here, make a bit more money. I still have a long way to go to afford my own chunk of Terrasphere." Navigating the Maze / Roll 33 + 0 = 33 Maze Progress: 382 / 500
80 HP MAX HP 80 EN MAX EN "A farm huh?" Jomei answered Mags with a smile and a nod, as he turned his head to face towards the blue haired woman. He offered a friendly laugh, "Guess that makes sense.. with the whole horse taming and naturamancy field. I take it you're a bit of a country girl then?" He asked her, a bit curious about his new friend's life. The man's hands found their way into his pockets, now walking with a bit more pep in his step, the cold breeze, as well as the few scares the duo had faced so far, did a job on sobering him up. "I've always lived in the city my whole life. Everyone always rushing around.. no open space or farms near me. Just cars, trains, and tall buildings." he said with a chuckle. "I always enjoyed taking trips to the calmer parts of my area, away from the big city. Just.. to enjoy the quiet." Shaking his head, the man continued, "Not sure if I'd be able to live there though. I'm too used to the city life." Jomei looked over at Mags again, a sheepish laugh bubbling up from within as his reached behind his head. "Sorry. Didn't mean to tell you my whole life story there." He felt comfortable talking with Mags, their friendship blossoming after their first encounter in Stokbon. Focusing back on the task at hand, Jomei continued to find correct paths, the end becoming more and more apparent the farther they went. There were many less dead ends that they could run into at this point. Navigating the Maze / Roll 70+ 0 = 70 Maze Progress: 452 / 500 Event: 10 - Nothing happened (Phew)
90 HP MAX HP 90 EN MAX EN "Nah," Magdalyn answered, shaking her blue head. "Please don't apologize. I like knowing more about people, so I'll never complain about listening to you talk about your life. Besides, I really enjoy carrying the real world into Terrasphere." She gave a small shrug as they walked, though with Jomei focused on the path ahead, she was unsure he could even see it. So she put voice to her thoughts. "A lot of people play the game to escape real life. That's not really how I feel. I thought it could be a cool way to pass some time, and meet some people, but I'm not trying to forget what's off-line, you know?" Together, Magdalyn and Jomei turned a final corner, and saw the maze's center laid out before them. "Oh," she said simply, "there it is." The excitement that she expected would not come, no matter how hard she stared at their final destination. Only ten minutes ago, she had been eager to spring herself from the labyrinth, wondering if entering it in the first place had been a bad idea. Now, however, the faintest tendrils of disappointment tugged at her heart as she cast her companion a side-ways look. On their previous adventures, they had spent little time talking about themselves, or their life outside of the game. The fact that they had begun to do so made Magdalyn feel even closer to the boy. She would have liked to continue the conversation elsewhere, if she could. But without the shared task, and the minutes spent walking together in the cool, crisp evening, would she have the opportunity to bring it up again? Would it be appropriate? "We made it," she told him, though of course, he could see for himself. That touch of disappointment flared as she released him, and jammed her hands into the pockets of her breaches. He isn't feeling well, her more logical side reminded her. It is better this way, since he can go lie down, or get some water. Resigned to this line of thinking, Magdalyn offered him another smile. It did not reach his eyes. "I'll have to tell you about my country bumpkin lifestyle some other time. Now, we should get you out of this place, and somewhere where you can sit down. Preferably, not the Ale King tent." Navigating the Maze / Roll 55 + 0 = 55 Maze Progress: 507 / 500
