Isle of Coldridge 2023 - Phantasmagoria - The Beginning

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Each year, a Coldridge event is held beginning in October. It involves dice rolls, but those have been edited out for length purposes. Players had to roll for a costume for the party they were attending in Gyllene, so the beginning of this page has what they rolled and what their specific costume does.

DATE: October/November 2023.
PLACE: Gyllene/The Isle of Coldridge.

Asher: Sandwich (86-90) Once Per Combat - A Pickle On The Side - The Sandwich produces a six foot long pickle spear, heavily brined and primed. The Pickle is rigid and pointed: perfect for fencing with. A successful attack delivers 1d10 damage to the target. Should the sandwich manage to do slashing or stabbing damage with the pickle, the pickle will leave traces of salt behind, deliver 2d10 initial damage to the target, and 1d10 damage every round after that. Once Per Session - Loafing Around - By pulling their arms and head into the costume and throwing themselves prone onto the ground, the Sandwich becomes irresistibly tempting to a passing Rigidian. The Sandwich can attempt to tempt a particular Rigidian with a 1d10 roll against a static difficulty. The Rigidian feels compelled to pick up the Sandwich and take a bite. The Sandwich suffers 5 damage, but is able to see inside the target?s mind. They have two turns to search for (on their turn) and find (on the Rigidian?s action) any useful or specific information inside of the Rigidian?s mind. The Rigidian will then declare the sandwich ?bad?, spit it out, and throw it back to the ground, whereupon the Sandwich loses connections with the Rigidian?s mind.

Sinclair: Bard (41-45) Once Per Combat - Sing Us A Song - The Bard produces their favorite instrument and launches into a Billy Joel tune of their choice, allowing them to grant one party member of their choosing with 1d10 extra damage on that party member?s next successful attack. Once Per Session - You?re The Piano Man - The Bard whips out a piano. Where did they get it? Who knows, but if they have something as cumbersome as a piano, they must belong here - or so that?s what Rigidians will think. The Bard is a huge distraction, pulling the attention of all Rigidians within earshot. Anything short of a cannon going off won?t distract the partying Rigidians. The Bard can roll 1d10 vs any distracted Rigidian and attempt to glean gossip, secrets, or other information that might help the party.

Ruairi: Artist (91-95) Once Per Combat - Paint It Black- The Artist?s palate is full of various colors and splotches of paint. During Combat, the Artist can turn all of their paint black, a formula containing Iron Gall Ink (which has not only iron, but salt in it). On a successful attack, the Artist paints a swathe of their target, delivering 1d10 damage immediately and 1d10 damage per successive round until the target is eliminated or the paint is wiped clean. Once Per Session - You Could Be A Model - The Artist, in all of their regalia, sets up an easel, paint box, brushes, rags, everything they need to create. They then convince Rigidians that they?re the perfect subject for the artist. The Artist can take multiple turns to convince as many Rigidians as they like (up to 4 per turn) that they simply must be painted and are the perfect model. The Rigidians will stay in whatever configuration the artist sets them, no matter how cumbersome or ridiculous, unless an alarm is raised, the area catches on fire, combat starts, or some other reasonable emergency arises.

Naessa: Princess/Prince (11-15) Once Per Combat - Champion Protector - The Royal takes their action to yell, ?Guards!?, summoning a large humanoid figure dressed in dented armor to stand in front of them. The Guard has 50HP, and will move to accept attacks, rather than let them hit the Royal. The Guard cannot attack, and disappears once combat is over. The Guard cannot anticipate surprise or ambush attacks, and thus cannot protect against them. Once Per Session - Charmed Life - The Royal embodies the manners and elocution of the highest socialites, making them irresistibly charming. Activating this power allows the Royal to ask a question and get an accurate answer, insist that they are allowed to pass into a restricted area, or convince a Rigidian to perform an action or favor that they would otherwise not do. The entity that the Royal is attempting to charm must be intelligent (e.g. you can?t charm a lock into opening).

Thaeloc: Baby (51-55) Once Per Combat - Baby On Board - Despite the group?s best efforts, a baby?s gonna do what a baby?s gonna do. The Baby is thus able to wander through the field of combat totally unharmed and unfazed. During the course of their journey, the baby has the opportunity to set up one or more boobytraps against the opponents (Zaria/Vicci discretion). The Baby may roll 1d10 vs the environment (static difficulty) to set up an intentional trap vs a particular opponent. Once Per Session - Don?t Wake Baby- The Baby pretends to be asleep. This can be anywhere, even the middle of the ground. All who observe or otherwise come into contact with the sleeping baby are compelled to be quiet. This may also be used as a means of infiltration, where the baby is encouraged to be evacuated to a quiet or otherwise safer location than where they fell asleep.

Ruairi strides across the common area, eyes focused on the town board. He appears to be dressed unusually for the way he carries himself, a motley-colored apron with what looks like paint streaks adorns his frame. In his hand he carries a painter's palette and in the other, a small stack of letters. As he notices the small group in the area, his eyes dart to the number of envelopes in his hands. There is a moment of quick calculation and a bright smile crosses his stubbled face. "Greetings!" He calls out, "You're just in luck! The Castle Lennox is hosting a costume party and you are all invited!" He makes his way towards the group. "It's free to attend, please come and enjoy yourselves!

Sinclair is a bit startled out of his thoughts when Ruairi appears with invitations. But a fun event that's free? Count him in. "I'll take one," he says as he saunters over to Ruairi. "Thanks for the invite." Once he makes contact with the letter, his attire changes and his bag disappears. His slightly grungy, threadbare outfit morphs into a bard's costume, complete with puffy burgundy sleeves, black tights, and a lyre. There's even a fancy hat with a big feather. He studies himself for a moment before chuckling. "I'm not mad at it," he says in jest. "My bag will return after the party, right?"

Asher saunters up to the board, curious to see the postings and finding a blush spread over his face at what is indeed posted there. He is surprised to see Sinclair, that imp, as well as a group of people and even Ruairi himself passing out invites. "Thank you," he says, taking one. Much like Sinclair, his comfortable sweater and slacks disappear, leaving him as more of a blocky, man-sized sandwich. His head pokes from two slices of bread, a pickle slice as his hat. Between the bread are what you might expect on a sandwich, meat and cheese, lettuce, even traces of condiments 'sandwiched' between. "Oh dear...I'm not certain this is a good look for me. But, I will make do." Sinclair gets a smile though, "You look dapper."

Thaeloc happily accepting the invitation feeling it was about time for his annual vacation to Coldridge. A week or more he gets away from his everyday life of father, husband, city official, and military leader. Opening the invitation his armor vanishes leaves the well built life long solider in just a large cloth diaper and a bonnet on his head. The Thane laughs looking at his attire think to himself this is going to be a fun challenge. Knowing that nothing in coldridge is ever how it seems

Naessa happens upon the group merely by chance while out looking for a good bookstore, leading to the Haunt approaching at the mention of a costume party. Due to nothing being scheduled for the night, an invitation is accepted by herself once the others are already in their clothing for the night, causing the burgundy blouse and grey leggings to change into a more regal state. The high quality of the clothing is taken note of, and there's a nod of acceptance when Naessa realises it's a Prince she's currently dressed as. With that fact in mind, there's now a look to Ruairi, so that the messenger can lead the way.

Ruairi, after passing out the remaining invitations responds to the question, "Everything should be right where you left it once the festivities conclude." He smiles and returns his gaze to the rest of the group, appearing pleased with the costumes that have adorned this small group of revelers. He makes a motion the one could assume leads towards the castle, "Please, everyone make your way to the main entrance. The music should be starting any moment now if the Count has any say in the matter."

You enter the ballroom in costume, escorted in by a butler wearing a Venetian mask. The food is for all, and the music is merry and spooky, as is the season itself.

The inside of the Lennox Castle Ballroom is sprawling and beautifully decorate for the spooky costume ball. All manner of guests dance and make merry, from special wine just for the occasion, to a long table full of food for guests to partake of. The fireplace makes the room comfortably warm, and the vibe is generally the same: welcoming and lighthearted.

Guests chatter and whirl around in extravagant, detailed costumes from the intricately beautiful to the hilarious. The music can be heard all around due to the perfect acoustics of the ballroom, rife with bongos in a perfect cadence and a violinist and pianist that both excel at their craft. It's the perfect party, if it weren't for a lingering feeling that something is a little off. It's minuscule, perhaps even social anxiety. Either way, everyone seems happy and content to socialize amongst their friend groups.

Sinclair makes a beeline for the buffet table, happy to pilfer the free food and doing so unabashedly. After some time chowing down, he strolls over to Asher, and takes him by the hand. "Would it be terrible if I asked you to dance? I just pigged out and maybe should move around a little and dance this off. I'm a horrible dancer, but even if you have two left feet, it would be fun." He chews on his bottom lip a little. "What do you say, Professor? Plus I always have room for a sandwich."

Asher is happy to follow along with Ruairi, a little more at ease knowing that Sinclair will be there as well. He watches the demon make a dash for the buffet with a small chuckle, then looks around at the other guests with some curiosity on their outfits - was there just a random costume connected to each invitation? Magic was a funny sort of thing. Sinclair's words take him a bit off guard, making him hope he doesn't have two left feet. The Professor finishes the small snack he had taken, then puts his hand in the demon's own with a nod. "Certainly. I just hope I can keep up with you in this costume."

Naessa hesitates only for a moment, relief spreading when the tan gloves covering her hands. With that problem sorted already, the castle is reached in short order, at which time the food table is approached. Mindful of the party guests, she helps herself to a piece of chicken, enjoying it while moving through the ballroom once again with no real destination in mind.

Thaeloc waddles his way to the main entrance one hand keeping the cloth diaper lifted up so it doesn't fall and show his goods to the world.

Ruairi steps to the side upon entering the ballroom and catches a servant's attention. A few hushed words are shared between them, if you were near enough you might catch some of the conversation regarding care packages and other sundries as gifts for the attendants. A quick but formal bow comes from the butler as Ruairi pats his back and returns his attention the castle's guests. If it weren't a requirement that he eventually make a formal appearance, he might hide behind his artist's disguise for a while longer. He sighs and makes his way towards the band to ask the maestro to lower the volume for a moment, after a beat and the guest quieting briefly, he begins, "Greetings, salutations, and warmest of welcomes, guests of Castle Lennox. As your host, I must say it brightens my heart to see such happy revelry amongst all members of Gyllene's population. Whether you are from here or just visiting, please know that everyone is a Gyllenian once they enter the castle. It is with my most humblest of wishes that each and everyone of you have a wonderful evening. Let any of the castle staff know of your needs and we'll do what we can to appease most tastes. Thank you for coming." Ruairi offers a deep bow to his guests, nods to the conductor and makes his way into the crowd as the music and talking swells once again.

Sinclair fumbles with his lyre a little before stepping into Asher's personal space to begin dancing with him. "Then lettuce waltz," he teases, beginning to step into the crowd and dance. He's surprisingly good at it for a beginner, leading the way with a smile as he dances with the professor. After a few dances, Sinclair looks around, seeming to be a little concerned. His eyes transition from their usual scarlet to a yellow that rivals sunflowers. "Professor..." he begins. "Where are all of the people that were here a moment ago?" He looks around before hearing choking sounds overhead, and all of the people attending the ball except for the group from the Gyllene board look ghostly and are dangling overhead in what appears to be...spider webbing? He takes a step back as the room temperature drops dramatically, allowing Sinclair to see his breath as the color of his eyes lightens. "I...is that part of this?" He looks at Ruairi. "I think we should get out of here, Professor. This doesn't feel right to me." He takes Asher by the hand and tries to lead him out of the castle, only to find that the gates are shut and fastened tight. Returning to the ballroom, he points a finger at Ruairi. "Why are the gates shut now? Open them. Now." It seems as though Sinclair isn't messing around.

Just as Sinclair said, the people overhead look ghostly as they struggle against their bonds, terrified as some finally manage to scream. The few remaining scatter, turning into glowing blue ectoplasm that clings to everything it touches. Eventually, the ballroom appears to shrink, driving everyone still on the floor into the sitting room to the south.

Asher chuckles at Sinclair's joke, enjoying a few dances with him and really letting his hair down as he gets a bit more comfortable in the outfit that has been chosen for him. However, he does see Sinclair's eyes change color, which alerts him to look around the room at what the demon himself is seeing. His mouth opens as if he is about to say something, though he stops when the Bard attempts to lead him away from the dance floor. Finding the gates shut only deepens the anxiety he is feeling now, "What is the meaning of this?" is said, looking about for Ruairi. Asher had never heard of the count being a devious sort before, so this might be completely out of character. There isn't much time to waste on thinking about that, as the room begins to shrink. He squeezes Sinclair's hand a little tighter and leads him to an area that might be safer.

Naessa finishes the food rather quickly, all the better to ensure there's a chance to interact with a couple lads and lasses who catch the Haunt's fancy. While a trip back to the table for a drink begins, this is halted with Sinclair's outburst and on reflex a quick scan of the room is made again, so that the threat it poses is processed and reacted to in a moment. Once in relative safety, there's a look toward the castle gate as she considers trying to phase through it, only to decide that risking something nasty being triggered isn't worth it, not with others who need protecting.

Thaeloc stands back against the wall observing to goings on around him with a drink in one hand a whole tray of finger foods in the other. As the others start reacting to to closing of the castle, Thaeloc just laughs and raises his glass. "Welcome to Coldridge" Finishing his drink in one swig, the Thane pushes himself off the wall taking a more center position in the room.

Ruairi falters as the person he was just speaking to begin to choke and rise above him. He scrambles to the edge of the room, nearly falling into the entryway of the sitting room, "This is absurd! The gates have never been locked since I took the position of Count." He rushes out to check for himself and finding Sinclair's words true, begins running his hands through his hair. "You," he points to a masked servant, "Find Wenfitch and have him begin crosschecking the invites for those who's accounted for and who's currently hanging in my godsdamned ballroom?!" The servant nods and rushes out a secondary door. "My deepest apologies, while there was supposed to be an opportunity for ghost stories, this was not on the itinerary." He strains a smile before he looks at another servant and tells them to find the head guard and begin working to get the gates open, and issues other orders for rescues to other servants. From there he begins looking towards the ballroom, and attempts to push his way back in, but the force that pushed them out bars all methods. He swears under his breath before looking at those gathered before him. "I am at a loss... In all my years in this castle, nothing like this has ever occurred."

Sinclair listens to Ruairi and seems to realize he's telling the truth, making Sinclair all the more nervous. When Thaeloc lifts his glass and says what he does, the demon marches over to him to poke the giant, diaper-clad Eorl in the chest. "Coldridge? What is Coldridge? Is this your doing?" His eyes narrow as they swirl from a pale yellow to a deep crimson, his anger literally shown within their depths.

The butler returns and says that the gates cannot be opened and isn't sure what the problem is. As he's taking, he slowly begins fading away to nothingness, leaving behind a cold breeze. He looks horrified as he disappears, trying to clutch at anything he can before he becomes nothing more than a memory. Ruairi would finder that the other servants are also missing in action, unresponsive to any of his calls.

Asher looks around at the disappearing people, the nonchalant man toasting, the scrambling Ruairi, and even at the Haunt nearby with a frown on his face. When Sinclair moves to poke Thaeloc, Asher is on his heels and ready to pull him out of danger if this man is the one responsible for what is occuring. "Coldridge?" The Professor dons a confused look, remaining close to Sinclair and keeping his eyes on Thaeloc. However, the disappearing servant causes him to gain an expression of alarm. "Oh my...everyone is disappearing. What if we do as well?"

Naessa responds to Thaeloc only after the stairway is occupied and she's seen Ruairi try to return to the ballroom, only for the unseen wall to halt any attempt. "What exactly is Coldridge? We're in Gyllene, not wherever you mentioned is," serves as the reply as a mirror of Sinclair's comment, while keeping well clear of any doorways just yet. Once a hasty look up the steps is done just to ensure nobody unpleasant has decided to begin descending toward the guests, she asks, "So. What do we do now?" all while getting prepared to deal with whoever might be behind it if necessary, a more likely option now that the butler dematerialises without warning. Aside from this, the Haunt only remains on edge, intent on having all the information available, lest a hasty choice make everything even worse.

Thaeloc looks as the demon pokes him in the chest. Most times he would try to snap that poking finger till broken just by such a creature touching him. With everyone looking at him for an explanation. "This time of year, A strange invite no one actually was expecting. For the last two years I have been in such an environment. An island far from the shores of Kuri, The place is Coldridge and is a survival challenge. We all most work together to all get out. Even you demon or you will not be returning to your cold, dark, and probably bloody home."

Ruairi watches in horror as the servants appear to fade from existence, these were people that surrounded him daily, he celebrated their achievements with them, mourned their losses with them. They were as much his family as his blood relatives. His eyes, rimmed in red, turn their gaze to the giant baby, "This was no strange invite. I have had this planned for months. It's an insult to the house of Lennox to imply that we'd have orchestrated this... survival challenge." He scoffs and stares coldly at the diaper-clad man. "That aside, we're still in my home, I think, and I will not have you name calling my guests."

Sinclair looks at the crystal ball and a weird sensation moves through him. "I feel like we, yes we, need to go to the bathroom. Upstairs, right? I've been here a couple of times before." He smiles a little at Asher, and Thaeloc's words cause him to frown. "So we've possibly been teleported to a death island and are in deep shit? That what you're telling me?" He pinches the bridge of his nose before frowning and moving up the stairs. "I'm going to the bathroom. Got a hunch. We should stick together, so everyone should probably come with me. If this guy," he jerks his thumb toward Thaeloc, "-is right, then we're about to be in a world of hurt." Thaeloc bringing up that he's a demon causes Sinclair to raise an eyebrow. Now he's suspicious that Thaeloc may be a hunter of his kind specifically. After all, he's never met him before. "Bloody home? Dude, you don't even know anything about me. If you could stop with the allegations, that'd be lovely. I'm not exactly a demon." He glares at the Eorl before heading upstairs to the bathroom, as he stated he would do earlier.

Asher frowns at Thaeloc, "A survival island..." Then the name calling starts coming into play, causing the professor's brow to furrow and a flash of anger to sprint across his gaze. Ruairi jumps in with his words to Thaeloc, but Asher still has his own things to say. "That was very rude. And not to mention strong allegations coming from a man dressed like a baby. His home is here on Gyllene and you know nothing about him." Sinclair says what he does and heads upstairs, prompting the professor to follow along so that he can keep an eye on the Cinnidu Tulyn. Naessa is afforded a small smile as he passes her.

Sinclair looks around the bathroom, remembering what the crystal ball downstairs said. He looks into the tub and sees a bevy of items, and he calls everyone over. "These look like healing potions and things of that nature." With minor hesitance, he reaches in and takes a couple of items, his lyre making a few sounds as some rhinestones on his costume strum the strings.

Naessa offers Thaeloc nothing more than a cold glare at the moment, for how he's treated Sinclair. Once the bathroom has been journeyed to, she retorts with, "Exactly who put you in charge, and why do you think it's good to go insulting people because they might happen to be demons? You're acting much more awful than he is, by far," as lingering contempt for the currently unknown individual. As for Asher's smile, it's returned in kind, black lips then returning to a neutral expression while the tub is checked out. Noticing what's in it, the stick of sage and a single blue potion are picked, chosen only because of her eye color.

Ruairi eyes the group warily as they make their way to the bathroom, nodding to the Bard, the Sandwich, and Prince in turn as they make their way to the bathroom. The man attired in the baby costume irks him, but appears to have the most experience in this situation, so Ruairi says nothing more at this time. After Sinclair's discovery and looking over the items remaining in the tub, he chooses two and hopes they prove useful in the challenges ahead.

Sinclair doesn't need his honor defended, but he feels a warmth in his heart that so many people are standing up for him. It's a huge difference from how he is normally treated. He decides not to hold things against Thaeloc for now. Kill him with kindness, right? He keeps hearing noises here and there that unsettle him, but there isn't anything he can do about it. So before he gets himself all worked up, the bard costume-clad demon moves to Asher's side, nodding to everyone who stood up for him with a slight smile. As the group descends, he walks back over to the crystal ball. "It told me to check the bathroom first...and it also wants me to touch it. Here goes nothing."

When Sinclair touches the crystal ball, the walls rumble and the fire goes out. Within the fireplace itself, a large stone slab casts dust as it slowly moves to the side, revealing a staircase leading down. It appears it is the only way to leave the property?

Asher frowns at all of the noises he is hearing here and there, the Triton worried after what they had seen happen downstairs. Were all of those people dead now? Or had they just disappeared for the time being? So many questions...and Thaeloc's survival island theory does not bode well for any of this. He is relieved that he and Sinclair were not split up, as he can keep an eye on him should things go awry. Though he also keeps everyone else in his sights as well. Sinclair is doing a good job at staying calm and keeping things moving, so there is also relief in that aspect of things.

Naessa makes sure to put the healing items away carefully lest they be in danger of getting smashed accidentally. While this is done Ruairi is followed once more, and with the staircase's appearance, down the Haunt goes. No attempt is made to actually journey into the tunnel just yet, though she is prepared to do so once a definite group plan has been agreed upon.

Ruairi watches Sinclair's interaction with the crystal ball and traverses through the fireplace stairs. He shivers from the chill in the air before squaring his shoulders. "This isn't on any of the blueprints in the library, nor any of the maps I drew while exploring as a child... That crystal has been up there for decades... my mother used it for her socials all the time..." His voice fades as concern and questions fill his mind. "It's impossible for us to be in the Castle at this point based on it's foundation."

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Last modified on December 5, 2023, 13:29:58