this is Salem, a land filled with magic and maladies. It is a place where witches and their elemental familiars gather, a home to legend and
lore that predates time itself. Yet of all the wicked and wonderful stories the past can tell us of, the most magical are the ones yet to happen.
This is Salem - this is the start of your very own journey. Welcome to starfall
Starfall is an animaga witch roleplay set in mostly modern times. Members play as witches in a world plagued by monsters, where the only safe spots are walled cities. Starfall strives to be a character-driven roleplay with expansive lore and a highly interactive plotline. We want to allow members to
create and look back on a magical journey, and mold the site and its plot as their characters grow.
of the two choices, they choose light over darkness- but this means going through a cramped compartment with very too many people. they can't really move shoulder to shoulder and instead find themselves shuffling awkwardly, heads bent down as they grope through the darkness. [break][break] the dull light of maddox's interface reveals more tracks and even old bloodstains. however they don't really need to question how well-worn their path is: soon enough, the pathway opens up to allow a little breathing space. now they can move forward with two people standing side by side- but along the walls, there are bright red enchanted torches- the fires burn on with no clear source. [break][break] someone hasn't just been here, they realize. someone likely lives here. [break][break] the pathway turns into a downward spiral- and the further down they go the louder the thumping is- like something slamming against something else. when they arrive at the final ring of stairs, their epiphanies are easily confirmed. there is a door. a wooden door with a simple, partially medieval latch. and something is banging against it. [break][break]the clearing is wide enough for all of them to fit, but it's still too tight a squeeze for a fight. torches light the edges of the walls. towards their left, the pathway continues. they could easily take a torch and venture deeper or they could make a stand here and deal with whatever monstrosities come. [break][break]
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ooc notes
the group has made 1/3 unfavorable choices so far. currently, they are at a small section of the cave where is there is ample light and a door behind which something is lurking. they can either confront this now or continue into the cave and come back to it later. they will need to carry torches if they decide to continue (item slots will be used depending on the number of torches taken). you have 48hours to post and come to a decision. [break][break]
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Sept 10, 2017 14:58:42 GMT
that was you.
the walls press in around them, suffocating; more than once, he feels some jagged edge of the cave brush against the top of his skull, and tries not to think about how easy it would be to die here if the earth should choose to give way, without a gravestone to mark their deaths. eventually, the path opens back out, and enchanted torches bathe them in red light. he looks at them suspiciously, but his attention is quickly drawn back to the thumping noise: it only grows louder as the path descends.
as he goes down the stairs, he silently curses whatever divine force may be watching for making him do this with a sprained ankle.
then when faced with the door, more eloquently, and this time aloud, he says, "shit." there is something hitting the door, each impact thunderous in the enclosed space, and he swears his heart freezes in fear each time. the thumping continues, the door looking more and more breakable -- maddox is suddenly, painfully, aware that only this flimsy wooden door is standing between them and whatever eldritch horror lurks behind. he takes a step back.
"we could always come back to this later," he suggests, in the tone of someone who definitely does not want to come back to this later. "there's plenty of other stuff to explore, probably."
Post by Sima Pahlavi on Sept 10, 2017 16:02:03 GMT
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[attr="class","tetbox"]
[attr="class","intext"]Sima sighed as the space opened a bit, although it was still tight. Too tight for a fight. She didn't like the sounds coming from the door, though. Was it the resident of this place or a guard dog? She wasn't sure. Whatever it was banged so violently against the door. Surely, then, it wasn't good. Right? She put her hand carefully on the door. "Hello?" She tried to call through it with a frown. She stepped back again, back to Maddox. "You're probably right. If whatever is on the other side is dangerous, this isn't a good place to fight, anyway. Let's go a bit and then come back."
With that off his chest, the young witch started to make his way behind the group. There was no way in hell that he would lead it, but at the same time, he wasn't too keen on being the man left behind. Despite it having way more light than the other path, it was definitely more cramped. His broom kept jabbing him in the face every time he took a step forwards, and he was certain that he had trod on someone's toes more than once.
Everyone's breathing could also be heard, every inhale and exhale, probably due to the anxious waiting of having to crawl through such a tight gap. Much like the others, his thoughts trailed off to that of death and how useless they'd be if someone were to attack them. Even the magically lit torches seemed like they'd erupt into a scorching inferno at a moments notice.
But then they could breathe again. He could breathe again. He bent over on his knees, catching his breath and clearing his rather messed up head. BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
A gulp, one big nervous gulp. Sybil gripped tightly to his broom and clutched it close to his chest like a safety blanket. All this noise was coming from the door, now why on earth was there something in such a strange place?! Each knock felt like it grew louder, more ominous than the last. A gradual reminder that they have no idea whats behind it.
But while everyone was talking amongst themselves, Sybil would walk slowly over towards it. Utterly overtaken by curiosity and certainly not acting himself.
"Who's there?"
TLDR; goes up to door and asks who it is (knock knock jokes anyone?)
Post by lucena zamóre on Sept 10, 2017 19:42:08 GMT
THERE WAS NO LIGHT I SWEAR I COULD SEE A REARING FEAR
She forces herself through the cramped passage, her breath and movement limited as she forces herself to push through the ragged rocks pressed tight against her own body; some part of her almost wonders if the passage was the correct choice and the thought of the passage getting narrower opposed to opening up was suffocating. Instead the passage revealed a spiral staircase and against her better judgement, she descends down the stairs alongside the rest of her group members, her hand still pressed against the wall of the cave as she walked further into its dark depths.
The space seems to open up once she reached the bottom of the staircase, the walls lined with dimly lit torches; the light bright enough to see the passage that continues to the left and unfortunately, enough to see the door that stood near center of the cramped room. Confrontation wasn’t an option and whatever lied behind the door was surely the one that caused the bats to frenzy– the rattle of wood and the frustrated slams rhythmic in her head.
“We could always come back to this…” “You’re probably right…” “Who’s there?”
Lucena turns her head immediately to look at the person with such a curious, yet meek voice, her brows furrowing in the slightest as she briefly glances at the wooden door; her familiar could sense the confusion, yet he still convinces her to grab one of the torches. She breathes out a sigh, her gaze just lingering for a moment before she reluctantly steps to remove one of them from the cave wall, "It's probably best if we just move on."
tl;dr: Lucena basically agrees with everyone, grabs a torch from the wall, and lowkey confused to hear a knock knock joke reference.
they linger- a burning curiosity that cannot be overcome by logic. and you know what they say about curiosity and cats. even as they take up torches to investigate the other chambers, a question is asked. it is met by silence. [break][break] the banging gets louder at their question, but only barely so. the door is resilient. now that they take a closer look at it, there is no key nor any kind of handle on its frame. there is no clearly human response from within the chamber- and it's odd enough that the door doesn't seem to have any way of opening. [break][break] but after all they've seen, do they break the door open? time's ticking. answers will not find themselves. the darkness seems to get thicker. overhead, the screeching of bats can be heard. something seems to slither beneath their feet- but that's just the light playing tricks on their eyes, isn't it? [break][break]
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ooc notes
the group has made 1/3 unfavorable choices so far. currently, they are at a small section of the cave where is there is ample light and a door behind which something is lurking. the door has no handle, but the group might be able to force it open. do they force their way through to investigate? you have only 24 hours to decide. failure to post for this round will have mild consequences. also, due to failure to post, JP BELASCO has died. it can be assumed that he was missing from the minute they entered the cave. [break][break]
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Sept 11, 2017 16:33:01 GMT
that was you.
the question is not met with an answer, at least not in any terms maddox can interpret into words, save for an increase in volume against this handle-less door. the shadows dance at his feet, slithering past in a way that makes him want to press into the wall and ascend into a separate plane of existence, away from this situation as a whole.
the darkness, barely affected by their torches, murky and merciless, suddenly looks far less welcoming than before. then again, the door ahead doesn't exactly welcome them with open arms. or a gaping jaw full of razor-sharp teeth. whatever. apprehension melts into frustration. he hisses out a breath, this time stalking forward. a brief glance at the team -- no violent objections that he notices. moosely bellows silent encouragement.
why have a door with no handle? to seal something in? not that he cares too much at this point, the frustration at the unknown and curiosity alike summed up eloquently in two words.
"fuck this," he says, and slams his shoulder against the door. it connects with a thud, just as he simultaneously gathers up energy for a knockerbacker and shoves at the surface as hard as he can.
Post by lucena zamóre on Sept 12, 2017 8:35:29 GMT
THERE WAS NO LIGHT I SWEAR I COULD SEE A REARING FEAR
The slamming continued to grow more desperate with each passing question, the wooden door that divided their group from whatever lied on the other side rattling under each impact though never quite breaking underneath its weight– something appeared to be trapped on the other side, whether it was running from something or meant ill intentions towards their group is unclear. Lucena hesitated near the darkened pathway, wine colored eyes fixated on the handleless wooden door while her hand gripped tight on the base of the torch and now unsure of their own plans. There was always a chance that whatever lied behind the door was a friend opposed to a foe and the curiosity of the outcome was enough to persuade her to stay just long enough to witness the events unfold.
It seemed that the uncomfortable darkness of the cave was enough to convince one member in her group and he announces his own frustration with blunt words; she only hoped that curiosity wouldn’t kill the cat. Soon she sees him barreling towards the rattling door with full force, his body colliding into the hard surface with a loud enough thud to make her wince, “Careful!” Lucena blurts out the words before allowing herself to grow quiet, her brows furrowing when she heard the unimpressed huff of her familiar within her mind– it was odd to see Silas so well behaved, but anyone could change under the right circumstances.
You could always leave them behind, I don’t want you to get hurt because of their stupid actions. The words soon echo in her mind and she couldn’t help, but breath out a defeated sigh; as tempting as the thought may have been, she refused to simply wander off on her lonesome and turn a cold shoulder, You know I can’t.
She eventually raises the torch towards the door, the light of the flames dancing across the wall as she stared at the door; simply waiting and gauging whatever would happen next. Lucena was more than prepared to turn tail if the situation called for it, but she wanted to be there just in case fate decided to be kind to them.
tl;dr: Lucena decides to stick with Maddox (and possibly the rest of the group) as he slams open the door, but she is 100% ready to book it if the situation turns sour on them. She holds her torch out towards the door to illuminate the area just a bit, just waiting to see what happens despite Silas telling her to just leave them.
Just a simple response was all he wanted. Confirmation that whatever was behind the door was no threat to the group. Instead, it sounded like the knocking became more and more violent. Sybil felt a lot of regret now, he should have just left. All this waiting around only made the darkness feel like it was more and more strangling. Even he was starting to grow uneasy with it.
Sybil took a few steps back, ready to see what the rest of the group wanted to do. But before anyone could have a say in anything, one of the witches decided to ram himself straight into it. Fear shot through him, enough to make him jump back until he was pressed up against the opposite wall, a bit to the side so he couldn't see directly inside should it open.
Arveen was rather annoyed with this, his screams echoing in his mind as he cursed at the reckless actions of the man. With no courage to muster up any words, Sybil just stood there and waited.
TLDR; gets back from door, stands by opposite wall to the side a bit so he isn't directly in front of door. Arveen is pissed and MAY help later on idk
maddoxs hits the door once. it does not budge. he hits the door twice and with a spell- and there's a bearly audible crack in its surface. in that instant, dozens of different inscriptions light up on the surface of the door. enchantment. it's too late. [break][break]a giant shockwave starts with the door at its center- the group is knocked back. Sybil Chime is the least affected, but their actions land them against burning red torches, and their clothes are quick to light on fire. [break][break] the door itself has exploded, but there is too much panic to notice that on the other side there are several dozen human beings tied with blindfolds, gags, and with their hands and legs bound. unfortunately, the group is far too much on fire to be able to help them at the moment. that's okay- the prisoners are more than willing to help themselves. in a frightening mess, they struggle to squirm out of the dungeons below, unable to see or understand what is going on. [break][break] and then they hear it- the thundering of footfalls from the other end of the cavern. their mystery man is here. do they step into the darkness? set up an ambush? attack all at once? or are they unable to do anything but writhe in flames? what do they prioritize?
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ooc notes
the group has made 2/3 unfavorable choices so far. the door explodes upon being forced open. the group slams into the walls and knocks against torches- these torches set their clothes on fire and drive the group into a panic. characters at the edge (Sybil Chime) were likely less affected than others. the door has disappeared to reveal large groups of tied prisoners that seem to panic and attempt to crawl out- their struggles just add to the cacophony. then the distinct noise of shoes thundered through the opposite end of the cave can be heard. their target will be here soon. do they prioritize offensive before they can be cornered, or does their attention turn to the prisoners before the looming threat? you have 48hrs to decide. failure to post will result in mild to moderate consequences.
[attr="class","manalishiltop3"]ONE OF US MUST FALL
[attr="class","manalishilpost"]Ah, of course. Nothing could ever go well, could it. The fires were quick to burn at her clothes, at her skin, and she was equally quick to tear off the burning fabric of her shirt and throw it to the ground. She quickly pats down the flames with her shoes to keep them from spreading. "Oh, shit." She stared a moment wide eyed at the people who worked themselves free before making a haste escape. "The villagers the girl was talking about?" She stepped forward immediately, eager to help them. "Wait, stop, there's a monster outside!" A lot of them, really, if she'd remembered the plants, but her mind instead focused on the beast that had charged at them. There was no way they could win against it.
Post by lucena zamóre on Sept 14, 2017 9:11:56 GMT
THERE WAS NO LIGHT I SWEAR I COULD SEE A REARING FEAR
Lucena could feel her grip loosen as the door slammed open without warning, the torch she held in her hand clattering to the ground below her as several prisoners pushed themselves into the small space; her body colliding against the cold wall of the cave as a result. Her breath was knocked from her at the action and Silas now fluttered just above her at the abrupt impact, his own feathers ruffled as he uncomfortably circled the ceiling of the room.
Her eyes widened when her breath returned, her attention soon settling onto the flames that licked at the fabric of her shirt and the heat against her skin; the panic slowly setting in. Water was unavailable and room far too crowded to properly extinguish the flames that scorched her clothes, “Shit… Shit… Shit…” The words fell from her lips, her fingers curling around the hem of her shirt as she forced the article of clothing over her head and onto the ground. Fortunately, she was not entirely shirtless when she threw the shirt onto the ground though she was reduced to an undershirt for the time being.
She noticed one person stomping out the flames of their own shirt and with the brief amount of time she had to truly articulate her thoughts, she simply did the same; her foot stomping at the small flame the threatened to consume whatever remained of her shirt, ‘This could have been avoided, yet you decided to stay.’ Silas’ voice sounds through her mind, his voice tense and disapproving of the situation yet his witch still proceeded to pick up the remnants of her shirt from the cave’s floor.
I’m not going to abandon anyone Silas, the situation wasn’t ideal, but- Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears the sound of thundering feet from the opposite side of the cave and her heart nearly sinks at the thought. Much to her dismay and to her familiar’s, she forces the kestrel away and back into his own realm; eyes darting between the various members of her group, “Hide, blend in.” She mouths the words, reluctantly slipping her charred shirt over her head before slipping near the back of the group and subtly towards the darkness; it was best to be paced rather than jump head first into a fight with their mystery man– have the upper hand.
tl;dr: Lucena drops the torch onto the floor of the cave and slams into the wall, quickly extinguishes the flames that caught on her clothes by stomping it out before eventually putting her now charred shirt back on. Forces Silas away when she hears the footsteps and suggests that the group blends in and/or hides by mouthing the words.
Post by maddox rothscus ✨ on Sept 14, 2017 9:50:01 GMT
that was you.
the second time he slams against the door, mana gathered in a spell, it cracks and-- oh, shit.
he's not entirely sure what happens, frankly, but he loses his balance quite abruptly, unceremoniously shoved against the cave wall and, belatedly he realises, the red torches. the flame is quick to crawl up his sleeve, a flicker of red that only grows. it takes him another moment to register that it burns, red-hot against his skin, and the pain finally clicks into place. ( moosely is laughing at him. )
hurriedly, he tears off the burning corners of the shirt and, following sima's example, stomps them out. he makes a mental note to invest in flame-proof shirts, if there ever were those, just as his eyes finally make sense of the situation and land on movement within the room.
prisoners?
"the villagers the girl was talking about?" asks sima, and maddox turns his attention to the few prisoners struggling past him.
"oh shit, look just stay put and shut up okay--" he hisses, waving at them to stand down, an attempt to make them stop, if anything. distractedly, he wonders why they were locked up in the first place, behind a door without a handle, no less. but there is no time to worry, not when footsteps echo through the cave, thunderous in their approach. the pale-haired girl turns to them, eyes sharp, and mouths, hide, blend in.
he is hardly any specialist at stealth, and there's a particular assassin that can attest to that fact, but he's not beyond trying his best. even the flickering torches cannot reach some corners of the cave, and it is these shadows that he steps back into, mana curling at his fingertips, ready, waiting.
- this is the moment maddox realises he fucked up - tears off parts of the burning shirt and stomps them out - tells prisoners to just shut up pls - finds a spot to hide for an ambush (ง •̀_•́)ง
USED: GATE PURIFICATION: FULL RESET GENERAL: KNOCKERBACKER
Sybil had never heard Arveen cry out so loudly, a screech of anger and annoyance which not only rung through his own mind, but somewhat in their world. As the door shone red with magical runes, Sybil knew that all of this was a big mistake. Perhaps it was a simple decoy to hinder their hunt, but why go through so much effort? Nevertheless, Sybil felt the blast that followed.
Bits of wood and stone shot out, red flames suddenly engulfing the area nearby the door. He prayed to Merlin, thanking him for his safety. There were a few scratches here and there, and a few singes on his clothes that he patted out before they got worse. "I really don't like thi-" Before he could continue, the hushed screams of panicking prisoners flooded the caves. Behind that door were clusters and clusters of people, bound and gagged as they shuffled around helplessly.
"What on earth?" Sybil's heart wanted to explode, he felt so full of pity for these people. How long have they been here for? Are they the townsfolk people have been talking about? There was no time to think, for as people started piecing things together, the rumbling sound of footsteps started growing louder and louder.
Something else was inside this cave.
Sybil moved through the hole that had been blasted apart, shuffling to the back of whatever room those people had been locked inside and did his best to make himself small and unnoticeable (which was a talent of his, since he's been doing it all his life).
TLDR; Sybil acts like a bad bitch and shrugs off the explosion. goes inside sex dungeon room with all the gagged prisoners and attempts to hide.
unfortunately, the group does a poor job of handling both situations. though they seem to have succeeded in avoiding further damage, the prisoners begin flooding the cave's path like anything- they are unable to stop them then they realize they've been freed. they attempt to scream and stumble wildly. when Sybil Chime dives into the room, they are practically drowned in the sea of people and receive some bruises thanks to the wild stampede. [break][break]the rest of the group was likely plastered to the edges- until at last a sudden bright light lit up the room, as though the ceiling of the cave had all along hidden some gigantic lamp. the light seemed to have no source but came simultaneously from everywhere, all at once. [break][break] and then from the end of cave, dressed in a thoroughly worn out purple suit and tieless shirt, with one of the legs of his pant folded upwards to better nurse a deep red gash was none other than... [break][break]
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bailey renico
the cave lit up rather quickly- bailey had been attempting of course to conserve his energy, but with this ruckus, he had assumed the worst. his fears were answered when he arrived at the next chamber- more people than he could account for were flooding out of it like water from a chamber. [break][break] but he couldn't let that happen because he needed answers. [break][break] the rocks beneath and above them glowed briefly, and then they were suddenly spun like spindles regenerating thick threads for the weaver to use- within seconds every individual had been tied down by virtue of a single spell. [break][break] bailey looked at the people- some, he noticed, already had been tied and bound. what in salem... and yet his voice was cyrstal clear. for his students, a rather stark contrast with the jovial tone he used while lecturing.[break][break]
"i am bailey renico, head of lux university of sundial. i was sent here to investigate suspicious behaviour of local flora. those able, introduce yourselves. or i will have to incapacitate you." [break][break] notes: provoked![break] items used: omni-light, weaver's toolkit, scroll 1
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ooc notes
Congratulations, the group is no longer in danger. no choice can lead to the death of a character unless mentioned otherwise. the group has made 2/3 unfavorable choices so far. the people flood the room and Sybil Chime is injured in the fallout. the cave explodes into what feels like omni-present natural lighting. the prisoners (and even the group) are likely momentarily stunned because of this. the 'stranger' introduces himself as bailey renico, the head of lux university. rock-solid thread appears rapidly from all corners of the cave, weaving around and binding almost everyone present.[break][break] this is a BONUS ROUND. all characters must post within 48hours, with a post that does not exceed 150 words. they must make an appeal to the stranger to ensure they aren't...well, 'incapacitated.' incapacitation means the character will be unable to post for the remainder of the event thread c. [break]break] goodluck! [break][break] maddox rothscus ✨Sima Pahlavilucena zamóre and Sybil Chime
