A Game of Skill

[Huntress]

((Considering how the closet was there from the start, I find it more likely that they meet for tea now and again. Granted, this is an illusionrealm, so the grandma may or may not really be real, but then again, with this world, who really knows?))

[Fraze]

((Also, the next stage will be starting in a day or two. If anyone has been waiting to sign up, now is the time to do it. And for those already playing, now is the perfect time to get more people onboard. So tell your family! Tell your friends! Tell your doctor!))

[Draco]

((Koalaaaaaa))

[♥ Azzie]

When she heard the commotion, Azalea assumed she'd been right in thinking everyone was back at the cottage. She turned and followed Jernath back to the cabin.
"Hi guys!" she said when she saw the group gathered by the door.
This included Miss Jensen."Oh!" Azalea had almost forgotten this was just a game. Oops. Well, it had been a fun one. She was quite excited for what came next.

((I'm just gonna pretend I posted this before the ending. If that doesn't work it can be ignored/deleted. XD))

[Fraze]

Once again, the world shifted. The forest shrunk, the ground contracted, and the sky rushed inward and became striped. They were standing in the middle of the circus tent once again.
The audience cheered as Euripides announced their triumph. Miss Jensen took the prize from Amneiger.

"That stage was certainly a test of wits! The next stage, however, will be a challenge of bravery, as our players must advance toward great danger."

"At this point, I have two announcements to make. First of all, any participants who are killed by an illusion will be kept in a penalty area for the remainder of the stage. They may rejoin at the start of the next stage, but can no longer participate in the current one. And secondly, as you may have noticed, we created a list of achievements for these games. Some achievements can only be earned in one particular stage, but others may be earned at any time." He gestured toward the list, on a banner hanging from the top of the tent.
((The achievement list can be found in the first post of this thread. Achievements that have been obtained will have an image with them.))

Euripides turned and faced the participants directly. "But be brave, and you will certainly triumph. And with that, on to stage 2!"



The world changed form yet again, though the change wasn't quite as drastic this time. The ground went from grass and dirt to hard, smooth stone. The room and the ceiling collapsed inward.

A man stood facing the players. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had a large, curly beard that looked almost blue in the light of the castle.

"This is my home," the man said. "Now that you are my wife, you are free to go wherever you please." He was looking at the players--or rather, at one of the players, but no one could quite tell whom. "However, there is one place that you must not go: I strictly forbid you from entering the room at the very top of the castle tower. As a test of your loyalty to me, I will give you a key to this room. Never use it."
He handed the key to...none of the players, and yet all of them at once. Indeed, all of the players found themselves holding identical small, golden keys.

"I will also give you a map of the castle, so that you may explore and find things to occupy yourself." He handed a map to someone, and like the key, all of the players found themselves holding a map of the tower.
"In my travels, I have discovered and collected many wonderful things. You will find many of them as you explore this castle. For example, I have a friend who lives on the first floor. A sphinx. Quite enjoys games, and will probably want to play Blackjack or something like that with you if you stop to visit. But once again, don't go up to the top of the tower. Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to. Please, this is your home now, make yourself comfortable." With that, Bluebeard turned and left.



((This stage will work quite differently from the last one. Everyone can roll a six-sided dice once per day, and move up the tower. Note that there isn't an order of play, anyone can roll at any time of the day. People who don't roll for a given day don't get to move on that day.

Different squares will have different effects, moving you farther up or back down the tower. An updated map will be posted once a day, showing the final positions of all the players on that day.

The Sphinx will play casino blackjack. It will deal itself one card at the beginning of the day. (Cards are represented by 13-sided dice. 1=Ace, 2 through 10 are their face values, 11=Jack, 12=Queen, 13=King.) All players who land on the Sphinx's square and want to play against it will deal themselves two cards, and can then deal themselves more beyond that if they wish. At the end of the day, the sphinx will take its turn: first it will flip over its face-down card, then deal itself more cards if it chooses to do so. Players who beat the Sphinx's cards will go up the tower, those who lose will go down.
Doubles and surrenders are not allowed. Splits are allowed, in which case winning only one of the hands is enough to move up, but winning both will not double your distance.))

Sphinx's first card: [dice=13][rand=256445185746997696064018062315880444753104820847530800707591697574]

[Zylaa]

Zylaa supposed she shouldn't be particularly surprised by the fact that, upon receiving a warning to never, ever go to the top of the tower, everyone instantly decided that the tower was the ultimate goal.

She took the first move: [dice=6][rand=0877355984412133770211720629595220463867306243628265414780720602721]

[Celestial]

Considering that she did not even know the guy, it was quite odd to have him tell her that she was now his wife (there was a joke about drinking too much last night in there somewhere) and give her a shiny key to the forbidden top of the tower. Celestial had no reason to be loyal to him. So why the heck not climb to the top? He basically gave her the perfect storm of an invitiation.

[dice=6][rand=83993110715164477651094308088158622367287098472348347302044553797]

[Tiger]

Tiger didn't like the look of this scenario so far - being the wife of a complete stranger was disturbing, and she didn't like the sound of this whole "forbidden top of the tower" thing.

Looking around at her companions, she found two already moving toward the stairs. Slipping the key into her pocket, she hurried to join them.

[dice=6][rand=9221665384247899880608290433883729228681628592318208946539089084]

[♥ Azzie]

Azalea looked around, puzzled. This was a weird challenge. She didn't much mind the marriage part- it made rather a nice story- but she did think he might have gotten to know the participants before forbidding them something so personally.
She looked at the key in her hand. It was shiny, and rather pretty. But curiosity gripped her more than the glint of metal, and she decided that, for now, she wanted to explore.
[dice=6][rand=5369547109585255644808787852525761440254678018395253897125367075]

[Kristykimmy]

Kristy the Boo had to remind herself that it was an illusion to keep from freaking out at the idea that she was now this dude's wife without ever agreeing to such a thing or even meeting the guy before. She felt that she vaguely knew this story too, but couldn't remember.

I know going to the top is a really bad idea, so I'm gonna do it anyway, Kristy thought to herself. Whatever this story was, it was bringing out some rebellious streak in her. If she had remembered the story, she might have been a little disturbed by that.

She gripped the tight. "Let's do this," she said as she followed the others to the stairs.

[dice=6][rand=65274606947787115132230145391077085836939746513968302250111009926]

[PFA]

Jernath also found it very disturbing that a random illusion just called him his "wife," all the more so because Jernath was very much male, thank you very much. But he brushed it off for now; it was just a game, after all.

Whatever. Might as well take a look around, he decided, glancing at the key in his hands as he proceeded toward the stairs.

[dice=6][rand=19995314246248734199569840692952768905349625283695654563288573504]

[Gelquie]

Gelquie had finally finished grumbling about how she got so incredibly lost during the last challenge before she noticed the world changing around her. This time, she seemed to be indoors, and though it didn't feel quite as tranquil as the forest, it did at least feel safer here.

She listened intently to the illusion of the man standing before her, and she twitched slightly when he mentioned that she was his wife. Was she really that out of it that one night? Then she realized that she didn't quite know who he was speaking to, so she didn't think about it further.

She looked at the key in her hands and pondered. Something about this really didn't feel safe. What if she got caught? Or what if something inside there was so horrible that it wouldn't matter? ...Still, Gelquie could not deny that she was feeling slightly curious about the nature of the room.

She decided she would figure that out later, and she headed towards the stairs to explore the tower.

[dice=6][rand=55325302365235986228651842102408198355138069018729776134539861232]

[Fraze]

((*Facepalm* Whoops, I forgot. Tiger, you landed on the square with the Sphinx (square 6), so you can play Blackjack with it on this turn, if you want.
Celestial, you hear footsteps behind you. Creeped out, you run up the stairs until the noise passes, and end up on the Sphinx square. You can also play on this turn.
Anyone else can roll and play Blackjack in the same turn, as long as they land on squares 5 or 6. I'm sorry, I should have clarified this sooner.))

[Draco]

Draco rotates his shoulders a few times and stretches. He wasn't exactly sure what was going on in the last challenge, besides from a nice story, but he was determined to try and win this one... If winning was a option.

[dice=6]

He heads over to the stairs.[rand=588332153856754301744187250733375572030112333595753848381619900465]

[Terra]

Zephyr considered the key, turning it over in his hands. These magical illusions were quite extraordinary, and he had not the slightest idea how they were actually accomplished. If only he could somehow learn...

He wondered, for a moment, what would happen if they actually obeyed the man and didn't go to the top of the tower at all.

...No, that'd be boring.

[dice=6][rand=1476184718776494325487460871227086846581647405400932902090484276414]