headed straight for the witches' castle

[groundrules]

Welcome to the bashful event covering 17 September – 9 October, working double duty as a test drive meme (TDM).

Existing players can strut their stuff here, or make separate logs & network posts. Our TDMing guests are stranded in this playground, but can include network options among play prompts.

If you’re test driving a character, you can apply them until 8 October without a game invite. Apps stay open beyond that, but you might need an invite or please get in touch @ groundrules to figure something out..

SCALE THE TOWER

---

Cousins Macaluso and Vannozza Spina vie for the favour of the witches of Bessis, in their bid to succeed their grandfather Bonaccorso as liege of magical citadel Taravast. In exchange for their endorsement, the Bessis have asked both electoral candidates to present extraordinary sorcery at a fete commemorating the Bessis truce with fellow court witches of Attaryl.

On the day of the distasteful masque held in the upper levels of the Bessis tower, characters assigned to support Macaluso and Vannozza will split into two espionage missions — one upstairs alongside courtiers, charlatans and the Bessis, and another deep below, crossing abandoned aqueducts. Characters can participate in either effort, but should be discreet if they’re working against their patron.

It’s all fun and games if you’re enjoying Bessis hospitality upstairs — test drive characters might be rating their hotel stay a little less enthusiastically.

TDM TOURISTS | UPSTAIRS (TEAM MACALUSO) | DOWN BELOW (TEAM VANNOZZA) | COMMON TIMELINE | NOTES & MAP



TDM TOURISTS

Days ago, you woke up sequestered in an immense bird cage, chained near the ceiling of a tall, dark room that once served as a library or academic hall. Imprisoned with you are several strangers, equally warded from their supernatural powers and partly sedated — all the better to amuse the nearly two dozen (visibly) undead who roam the room, despite being loosely fettered to posts. They often swing for your cage, but fail to reach it.

■ Sorcerer sentries briefly release characters daily to feed or bathe in a repurposed nearby quarter with a large pool.

■ Characters receive basic devices that translate speech and writing, so they can understand their caretakers’ instructions. All along, the guards urge, Keep the animals distracted.

■ The undead reek of burning and wail their hurts. They are gifted in telepathy and often mentally share memories of carnage — two armies of sorcerers, one raining fire upon its enemies. At night, the undead seek to control the minds of caged characters, luring them to come down or harm others.

■ Necromancers sometimes visit to study the undead. The latest necromancer guest temporarily immobilises the creatures and throws three bundles of identical keys into the cage — he reveals he is employed by a Merchant, who wants the outsiders to travel east and return to their homes. They are currently in Taravast, captives of the witches of Bessis, who hold annual celebrations tonight. The keys will help with escaping the cage and accessing nearby tunnels.

■ The necromancer leaves behind rope, two daggers, and three potion vials that generate mist once smashed on the ground. Leave within an hour of your dinner, he says, before releasing the undead from his magic.

■ Get out. As soon as you can, running like hell from guards and the undead. If caught, the undead will rip you to bathe in your body’s waters and ease their burns.

■ The underground tower tunnels are patrolled by guards, who can be overpowered by groups. Characters will recover any supernatural powers within 40 minutes of leaving their prison. Escape tip? Steal the guards’ clothes.

■ The tunnels inevitably lead to the aqueducts, allowing you to meet Vannozza’s group.

» GET WET



UPSTAIRS

The halls of the Bessis sprawl over a pristine ivory tower, whose walls refract light in homage to the witches’ devotion to fire.

The tower receives guests today to celebrate the armistice between the sorcery schools of Bessis and Attaryl. The two groups futilely sought to slaughter each other many moons ago, with the Bessis notoriously gaining the upper hand — explaining the tense smiles of the Attaryl witches on premise.

The event is a standard Taravast masque: if there were coin to spare, someone poured it into the obscene dining displays and alcoholic fountains. Enjoy dimmed lights, the rare pickpocket or recreational narcotic — or test your luck at gambling tables, where winners can claim a forcibly extorted secret from losers over games of dice or cards.

Come masked and visibly unarmed — weapons are confiscated at the doors. Smuggle them in. Just outside the tower, take a walk through labyrinthine walled gardens surrounding a deep water moat and leading to abandoned aqueduct pipelines.

OF NOTE:

■ Magical sentries — armed with swords and fire spells — watch the banquet halls, stairs and outside grounds.

■ Bessis practitioners showcase fire, wind, water and air dances in the reception halls, along with performing token duels. Get involved, if you want.

■ Don Urbano, a respected Bessis sorcerer returned from abroad, announces his betrothal with Wen Qing, as orchestrated and financed by Beitang Moran.

■ Come sundown, Macaluso invites fete guests, Vannozza and the Bessis to join him on the balconies and behold the canal moats, where swims his recently captured white dragon. The creature is magnificent but tense, its ice power crackling.

ASSIGNMENTS:

■ Run recon of the halls. Keep track of guards, divert them from the aqueducts and alert your friends downstairs of their presence. Be obnoxious, loud and attention-grabbing when sentries get near the opened aqueduct entrance.

■ One of the night’s most profligate gamblers, Caterina Zalle, leads a coalition that produces magical weapons. She is allegedly in talks with forces abroad that fight their undead oppressors. Even tipsy, she only speaks with those who best her at the gambling table — pair up and figure out how to cheat improve your chances, then drop a line here to win donna Caterina’s answer(s).

» SMILE AND CARRY ON



DOWN BELOW

A jaded spirit, Vannozza knows Macaluso’s historical patronage of the Bessis makes them unlikely to favour her. Better to take advantage of leaked information: the Bessis hide a secret that’s required them to mysteriously invite necromancers each day. Learn what the Bessis are shrouding, so Vannozza can extort them later.

The lady offers her protegees — and anyone dragged along for the ride — a map to abandoned aqueducts accessible through the sentry-patrolled gardens that surround the tower of the Bessis. Guards will be thinner at the start of the evening festivities, but keep in touch with your counterparts upstairs, who can distract them while you infiltrate.

■ The aqueducts can be entered through a shielded gateway that will require characters to dig extensively for access. Divert the guards creatively: use magic, tricks, everyone is a hapless beggar or a drunk...

■ The intricate waterways once served Bessis sorcerers who specialise in water arts. The pipelines range from roomy and rusted to highly claustrophobic and slick with a coating of dark tar that gradually starts to follow you.

■ You find out quickly why the pipes were abandoned: the tar starts to accrue behind you, taking your shape and diplomatically doing its best to choke or drown you. Luckily, the creatures disperse after scant minutes — characters who traversed the Stairs of Sighs will recognise this is the same molten tar found in the rocky corridors.

■ Brace yourselves — for a short stretch, the canal dips into the moat surrounding the tower, home to Macaluso’s dragon. The creature is currently peaceful, but its constant chill has largely frozen the waters. Swim across the moat through ice pellets to re-enter the canals.

■ The aqueducts ease characters into pool quarters, which show signs of recent use for bathing. In the nearby corridors, guards are posted before a room that erupts in frequent howls. Get in, somehow —

■ ...and find a large study hall with an immense suspended cage, a series of freshly freed newcomers and undead witches, who use telepathy, levitation and light mind control to their advantage.

■ Now, you take your newcomer fools, choose between returning through the aqueducts or daring the heavily guarded tower corridors — and you run.

» UP WE GO



EVERYONE TOGETHER NOW

Nothing spices a party like nearly two dozen undead witches that seek to salve their burn wounds with the blood of the living. Some undead invade the banquet halls, others the gardens, while a few head into the aqueducts. They use telepathy, levitation and mind control diligently — and wear the decayed insignia of witches of Attaryl.

The chaos and the undead that enter the moat agitate the water dragon, who goes on hours of rampage, breathing sheets and walls of ice around the tower and effectively locking everyone within for two-three days.

...with the wandering undead. The witches of Bessis assist with fire magic and torches, but it’s every man for himself. Beware: the dragon starts with magical attacks, but quickly progresses to throwing itself bodily to topple the tower.

TO-DO LIST:

■ Calm or immobilise the berserk dragon to ease the ice storms
■ Capture the fire-fearing undead
■ Protect and evacuate Taravast’s useless 1%
■ Stay alive?

NOTES & MAP

■ Old timers: GO HERE to vote on the fates of the dragon and later, the undead! And ask any questions you might have.

■ TDMers: TDM events count as game canon if you app in! TDM questions here.

Comments

[funnylittleclown]

A cop, me?

[ He chuckled for despite the grim situation they found themselves in the idea that anyone would think he was a police officer was still funny. ]

You don't supposed that anyone with a police box might actually be a police officer?

[ Don't be silly! ]

It's... more of sentimental value really.

[in_theworks]

[still squinting, buddy. (-_<)]

I don't know anyone else who'd have a police box.

[a beat (!_!)]

Unless you stole it.

[that would be cool. and preferable]

[funnylittleclown]

STOLE! I say I have a police box and you immediately think I've stolen it!

[ And how did he guess that so quickly! The Doctor had in fact stolen the TARDIS. Still he huffed and puffed like the most offended person in the world, all the better to maintain the cover that he hadn't. ]

My word! I've never heard of anything so ridiculous!

I suppose that is something you would do? You might even have stolen that interesting mask of yours?

[in_theworks]

[he holds up his hands, placatingly]

Enhance your calm, man. [why, yes, he did just quote Demolition Man. just go with it] I absolutely would have stolen a police box, if I was in London. [maybe that's something he can pitch to Marcus, now that they're done with Dusan and Blume. road trip!!]

The mask on the other hand ... eh, not so much. I built this to cover the fact that my face is too pure for this world, too good. [he sighs dramatically. (￢_￢)] It's my cross to bear.

[funnylittleclown]

[ He did calm, and quiet quickly too as he had never actually been that upset in the first place. ]

It's a wonder they let you keep it. I doubt our kidnappers are worried over how pure we might be.

Did they allow you to keep anything else?

[in_theworks]

[to be honest, Wrench is surprised they let him keep his mask, too. he's also not going to comment to the effect, however, just in case it magically causes their captors to have second thoughts. the mask is important to his sense of self. it would be literally traumatizing to lose. it was traumatizing to lose, when the FBI took it from him, however briefly, when they arrested him]

[but anyway, that in mind, he doesn't comment on it, and instead shifts to reach into his pocket, coming up with his phone. he waves it at the Doctor] Just this. But considering the whole high fantasy vibe this place has going on? I don't think it's going to be useful as more than, like, a power source.

[he might be able to take it apart and use the electronics to power some homemade explosives, if and when he can find whatever else he'd need to make a bomb, but other than that? there's nothing to hack here, no one to phone for help. he doesn't have service or connectivity here, where ever here is]

[funnylittleclown]

Oh, I don't know. Something like that could be useful for all sorts of things.

[ He sighed and looked to the cage door. ]

Just not for getting us past that lock I'm afraid.

[in_theworks]

Yeah, probably not.

[despite the fact that (x_x) seems to be the mask's default, there seems to be something deliberate about it, now. shame he can't hack them a way out]

The guards leave you anything good? Maybe by our powers combined or whatever ... [maybe they can jury rig something that will get them past the lock, if they pool their resources]

[funnylittleclown]

OH all sorts of things!

[ All of his little pocket treasures with he proceeded to pull out of his pockets and lay out on his lap. The old banana skin was likely useless but the drawing-pins were fun, and there were marbles, conkers, a roll of sticky tape and... he pulled out a paper bag, unwrinkled the opening and held it out for Wrench. ]

Would you care for a jelly baby? They're quite good.

[in_theworks]

[he leans over, looking into the bag and -- that's not really what he was hoping for, he was maybe hoping for something he could use as a lockpick, for all that he and Josh decided to teach themselves to pick locks for funsies, once upon a time, but he can't say he's not hungry. blame the fact that their captors have decided they only need to be fed once a day. not that candy's going to do much to help his appetite, but]

Eh, yeah, fuck it.

[he reaches into the bag, that said, pulling out one of the gummies] Thanks, man. [(^_^) and that's the last face the mask will display for a second, as he tilts it back just enough to expose his mouth, so he can actually eat the candy]

[funnylittleclown]

You know...

[ He spoke as he fished a jelly baby from the paper bag himself then folded up the rest to pack in his pocket for later. ]

Even if we did manage to get that door open there would still be the drop and those creatures down below. You can hear them I imagine, in your mind?

[in_theworks]

[Wrench turns his head, glancing over his shoulder as he tugs the mask back down over his face. when he looks back to the Doctor, the mask flashes (o_o)]

Yeah, dude. Loud and clear. [much to his horror] The drop wouldn't be so bad, if you landed right, but I'm not sure I wanna know what other tricks those guys have up their sleeves. [they're definitely not your garden variety zombie]

[funnylittleclown]

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.

[ He heaved a sigh as he searched his pockets again for some sort of time passer. ]

I was only pointing out that we might be stuck here for some time unless we can figure out some way around our friends down there.

[in_theworks]

Ehhhh, I'll get over it.

[(=_=)]

In the meantime ... we might be able to blow the battery on my phone? [have you ever seen a cell phone battery explode? it can be violent -- violent enough to take out a few of the zombies]

[funnylittleclown]

Perhaps... we could turn it into some kind of flashbang. If we could blind those below, even temporarily, we might be able to get away.

[ And from his pocket he produced one of his little treasures, pushpins! ]

We could then toss a few of these behind us. I noticed a good many down there aren't wearing shoes.

[in_theworks]

I could absolutely do a flashbang. [what, like it's hard?] And yes to the caltrops, dude. [(!_!) that's a great idea! (^_^)]

Just, uh -- just gimme a minute. [a beat] And maybe one of those pins. [it's the closest thing they have to a screwdriver, to open his phone] Unless you're carrying an actual screwdriver?

[funnylittleclown]

[ Such an impish smile you have never seen before! ]

Well, actually...

[ He fumbled about in those seemingly endlessly deep pockets of his until he produced a long thin device that looked nothing like a traditional screwdriver but it would get the job done. ]

It's sonic. Just point this end here at the screws and press the button.

[ It and one of the pushpins was carefully handed over so that they didn't end up fumbled through the cage bars. ]

I wonder if it won't work on that lock as well, when the time comes. I've never tried it on a lock before.

[in_theworks]

[Wrench takes the both, just as carefully, though his attention now lies with the sonic screwdriver, trying to mentally unpack how that works. the mask, therefore, jumps through a series of expressions -- (?_?) (o_O) (¬_¬) (^_^) -- before finally dropping back to the default. whether this is because he thinks he's figured it out or because that's a problem for later is anyone's guess, however]

[either way, he goes to work taking his phone apart]

I've shoved an actual screwdriver into a lock, before, and it's worked just fine, so ... maybe?

[couldn't hurt to try?]

[funnylittleclown]

[ How amazing it was watching that mask cycle through all those varying emotions. He was momentarily dazzled by it and made a mental note to see if he couldn't get a better look at the piece once they were out of this mess. ]

It might work. Maybe it could work the tumblers or...

[ While Wrench worked on his phone the Doctor scooted over to fiddle away at the lock, trying to work out what sort it was and what it's weaknesses might be. ]

[in_theworks]

[given that he'd probably have to take the mask off, for the Doctor to look at it, and the fact that he's never taken the mask of willingly, not even for his best friend, probably not. sorry, Doctor. it's complicated]

[but anyway, after a minute or two of work, Wrench asks:] Hey, so, weird question even for me, but ... do you still have that banana peel?

[he's planning on putting everything inside it and tying it up -- a jury-rigged casing for their grenade. it'll be better than completely destroying his phone. it'll be easier to fix, later, if there's still something to work with, even if he's taking the guts]

[funnylittleclown]

Of course I do. You wouldn't throw something like that out.

[ That would be ridiculous!
He took a break from fiddling with the lock to retrieve the peel and hand it over to Wrench for repurposing as a shell casing... which was fortunately timed as about then a Necromancer arrived with a few gifts. Rope, two daggers, three potion vials, and the ever so helpful advice to leave after dinner. ]

Helpful fellow... Though I wonder who this merchant is. And these should make opening the cage much easier.

[ Three sets of keys. While they had the time he picked up a set and fit it into the keyhole in the lock just to make certain they would fit and turn the tumblers when the time for escape came. ]

[in_theworks]

[Wrench starts to reach for the peel -- and immediately stops, swearing, as the Necromancer approaches. pulling his hand back as if he's been burned, he immediately starts trying to hide the phone and the screwdriver, albeit awkwardly, because well, where's he supposed to put it, exactly?]

[thankfully, their guest either doesn't notice or doesn't care. thankfully, all of this has happened before he destroyed his phone in earnest. either way, Wrench stares at the things the Necromancer left for a long moment, the mask frozen on (O_o)]

You think this is legit?

So sorry! Notifs failed!

[funnylittleclown]

Hmm... I wonder.

[ Which didn't answer the question at all but he agreed, it was odd that some one would decide to help them. What was in it for them? Were they simply a good Samaritan, a member of some sort of resistance group, or were they working for their own gain? ]

It's curious, most curious... but this key does fit the lock. I think we might do well to go along with his plan for now but, I see no reason not to implement ours as well. What did you think of him?

no worries!

[in_theworks]

Eh, I'm not usually a fan of suspicious breakouts? [which is to say that he really doesn't trust this or the Necromancer. he will, in fact, go along with it, for now, if only because he doesn't want to be stuck in fantasy jail for the rest of his life, but he might start trying to look this gift horse in the mouth, later. maybe] Then again ... we totally broke a guy out of jail, once, and that was pretty sketch.

[there's a man, back home, who calls himself the Vigilante. he's a grey hat hacker who took down the Irish Mob in Chicago, before moving on to other high profile bad guy targets. he got caught by one of the street gangs, in Wrench's neighborhood, and he and his friends found out about it and broke him out]

[hm. (O_o) (?_?) (o_O)]

I guess we can figure it out later, though -- y'know, once we're actually out of here.

[they can totally do their thing, too, though, as the Doctor suggested, as sort of a failsafe. if things go sideways, at least they still have their escape plan!]

^^ Thanks!

[funnylittleclown]

Suspicious breakouts? I suppose it is as we know nothing of our benefactor's motives... But, then this is how a great deal of break outs begin. I've met some of the nicest people in prisons.

[ Not to say you shouldn't look that gift horse in the mouth later as he certainly would be doing that too! ]

It will be easier to try and sort all these pieces out when...

[ He sighed and closed his eyes, needing to pause for a brief moment to force those burned undead below them out of the thoughts in his mind. Hmm... They were getting stronger or his resistance was getting weaker. Either way it was time to be out of this place. ]

When we can think without being interrupted.