SEPTEMBER EVENT

[ride_technicians]

↞NAVIGATION

info

On 09/09, approximately an hour after curfew lifts, the usual ambiance of the park is shattered by the loud BOOM screech BOOM of fireworks launching up into the air. Eight in total explode in the sky above, all various shades of blues, purples, and greens. They’re your standard bouquet-shaped aerial fireworks that explode into a rain of glittering gold flares, leaving behind the stench of gunpowder and soot that seems to be concentrated near the Gift Shop.

And for good reason; the cloak of mist to the right of Show-Tunez and directly north of the Gift Shop has pulled back just enough to reveal a building titled The HouZe Of Reflection. It’s a rather gaudy exterior, brightly lit and covered in various spirals of carved filigree, bathed in a rainbow of flashing lights that make it seem like it’s the go-to rave destination. The interior is just as hard to look at, with mirror frames that light up in very specific color coded ways to denote just what they do. Because they absolutely do something. You didn’t think this would just be a harmless little mirror maze, did you?

When someone steps across the threshold into the building, the big steel doors slam shut behind them, leaving them in darkness until the interior lights flicker on and the challenge begins. Players are allowed to enter either solo or in a pair, and the next group will be allowed inside once the prior contender has chosen a mirror and begun their journey. Each mirror itself is not a solid object, cool to the touch, and may be passed through as if it is a doorway to the next area; there is no “right” path to the end, and instead players will choose forge their own based on their color choices.

A mirror has different properties depending on the following color coding:

★ RED [TW - BODY HORROR]: Mirror of FUN. These appear to be funhouse mirrors, the type that reflect your proportions in wonky, unnatural ways. Stepping through these causes the body to shift and rearrange itself until it matches the reflection that had been plastered upon it, stretching and elongating some limbs while truncating others. The process is painless, though moving may become… Difficult after too many trips through these.

★ PURPLE: Mirrors of TORPOR. A nap seems like a good idea right about now, doesn’t it? You’re so tired, after all… Just a few minutes probably wouldn’t hurt. These mirrors sap the energy of those who pass through them, an effect that worsens and stacks upon itself the more it is experienced. After five passes, the body feels heavier than lead, and someone may need to come in and try to find your character if they are unable to continue.

★ GREEN: Mirrors of TREPIDATION. Even the bravest souls have something to fear. These mirrors outwardly seem normal enough, although upon stepping through, they will drag those fears to the light and manifest them before the character’s very eyes. This can take the form of hallucinations that steadily grow more intense, or something more akin to a nagging little voice in the back of the mind that becomes debilitating the more these are passed through. Face your fears in the house of mirrors!

★ BLUE: Mirrors of RESPITE. Take a moment to catch your breath, my weary contestant. You’ve done well to make it this far. While the other mirrors bring strife, the blue mirrors offer a reprieve, quelling the turmoil of the mind and healing the body. Think of these as a reset button, as they will restore the status of your character to the default state that they entered with. Naturally, they are the rarest color to find within the maze, as too many of them littering the playing field would make things too easy.

★ BLACK: Mirror of ???. An empty void of darkness, a gaping maw that is searching. Yearning. If a 20 is rolled on a d20, the journeying character may accidentally stumble upon this mirror. Should they make the choice to step through it, the mod will be in contact to state what happens next. Each player may roll as many times as they are willing to make their character re-enter the HouZe of Reflection.

★ WHITE: Mirror of ASCENSION. Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end! This mirror will only show itself after fifteen mirrors have been crossed through, and upon walking across the threshold the character will find themself safely back outside, no worse for wear. That was fun, wasn’t it? Huh? A harrowing experience, you say? No, not in the slightest, and in fact passing through the white mirror almost makes you want to go through again…

Characters who enter the maze will be able to hear other characters distantly, especially those who are calling for aid or assistance. If entering the HouZe or Reflection as a pair, if two characters are not physically holding onto each other somehow as they pass through each mirror, they will end up in different locations and will need to either find each other once more or abandon one another to continue on their own.

After the month of September, the HouZe of Reflection will be added in as a permanent attraction.

Comments

[songsearching]

[ Oh, she hates this.

A lot of this feels all like she's been sent to a place similar to hers... but worse.

Kanade frowns, quiet as she takes careful steps to see if she could walk towards the chandelier, perhaps seeing if she could potentially unveil what's under the sheet. ]

[ride_technicians]

The sheet pulls free easily, sending a cloud of dust into the air that makes her nose itch and tingle. Beneath it sits an antique grand piano, the wood stained a familiar shade. It doesn't appear to have been played in some time.

[songsearching]

[ That sure is a piano.

The color is different from any of the pianos she's used to and she can tell it hasn't been played in quite some time. But let's see if it works... she's going to gently press on the middle C note to see what sound comes out of it. ]

[ride_technicians]

It's a rich, vibrant note that sings forth and bleeds into the air. Perfectly tuned and seemingly in great condition despite the outwardly aged appearance. Other than that, no traps are activated, no secret doors unlock... Things seem rather calm, in fact.

[songsearching]

[ That's a relief. Nothing to be worried about, then. Is there anything underneath the piano at all...? She'll check there first. ]

[ride_technicians]

There doesn't appear to be anything sinister hiding beneath the shelf of keys... Other than the foot pedals that seem to have faired less well than the rest of the piano itself has. Tucked in between two of them is a folded up wad of paper, which when unfolded reveals a fresh page of sheet music. There are no notes written down on it, and it's completely blank aside from the title penned in at the top in blue ink.

Your Song.

[songsearching]

[ ... Weird.

Is the handwriting familiar at all to her? ]

[ride_technicians]

The strokework seems similar to the writing that adorned the IV bag she found upon arrival. Yet there are a few, subtle differences in the overall feeling of the words on the page. While the original was certainly more malicious and cruel, this feels softer. Kinder.

[songsearching]

[ Don't like that. Well, let's just put this paper on the piano because she might as well do that. Are there any doors that she can possibly go through? If this is meant to be a mansion, then certainly she can find a way out... ]

[ride_technicians]

There are two grand oak doors that slumber within the wall opposite of the broken chandelier, the wood in a similar state to the rotted staircases. They're big and heavy, but with enough force they could probably be opened.

[songsearching]

[ Kanade does not... have much strength in her very lithe body that is ran purely by cup noodles. But.

An attempt at trying to open the doors will be made?

She'll first try normally before

Slamming herself into the doors. Hopefully they open within the first few tries otherwise she's gonna be tired... ]

[ride_technicians]

The door handles spin freely in her hand, and in the face of her shoulder rammings they... Do in fact budge! Only a little, and the hinges creak loudly in protest, the heavy wood shuddering in blatant protest. Entirely unstable, and liable to collapse if beaten up too much, but there's enough of a gap between them now for her to be able to peer through.

Beyond the doors, a dark and gloomy sky sits like a perched guardian over an empty, overgrown lawn. The path up to the door has been all but swallowed by vegetation, and what is visible of the driveway up to the house is soon obscured from view by a mess of towering trees and unrestrained foliage.

[songsearching]

[ ...Oh.

Well.

It'd be nice to go outside but Kanade's tired now, she's letting the floor reclaim her. ]

[ride_technicians]

The floor isn’t terribly comfortable, but it’s also probably not the worst place for a nap. She can have a moment to rest, as a treat. Checkpoint unlocked.

[songsearching]

[ She's gonna be here a while....... please hold. She'll slowly get up after catching her breath before just going to try the door again, wiggling the doorknob a second time. ]

[ride_technicians]

It wiggles around in her hand, but the doors are still ajar, and thus the doorknob doesn't particularly impact much when it comes to her situation.

There is, however, a glimpse of movement that can be spotted through the gap, and if she peers through to the outside world once more a dark shape seems to be making its way up the driveway. It's roughly the size of a medium-small dog, though it's far enough away that no other details can be discerned.

[songsearching]

[ If she can't look through the door... are there any windows close by to check on? ]