The Eighth Trial

[hot_mess_express]

Who: Heroes
When: Day 17, morning
Where: the party zone The Fairy Circle

Come hither, Heroes. Prove thy worth.

Just like always, the train shudders in response to some foreign power. You’ve been here before, haven’t you? You know what will happen when you venture out of the train and into the dark forest beyond in search of some old house, or a tower, or whatever fresh nonsense awaits you.

But there’s no inexplicable new castle or what-have-you. Instead the air outside the train is filled with glittering bubbles floating lazily above what appears to be a collection of large white mushrooms grown in a circle.

Obviously there is no door, and touching any of the bubbles will simply cause them to burst. Should you step into the circle, however….

Foolish heroes, destined to be swallowed by the encroaching malice… can your hearts truly withstand the nightmare that is reality?

Darkness overtakes you.


When you wake up the first thing you may notice is this game has a soundtrack. The music appears to have no discernible source and fills the entire room. ... and what a room it is.

It appears you’ve been transported to some kind of… children’s… birthday party?

At the far end of the room is a large table with a sign above it reading HAPPY BIRTHDAY. It’s a pretty impressive set up with a variety of goodies including noise makers, party hats, disposable plates and cups, and enough sugar to fuel a whole room full of grade schoolers

The biggest and arguably most important party refreshment sits right in the middle of the table, however; a giant bowl of fruit punch. Don’t worry children it’s non-alcoholic. It's also not suspicious at all.


For now, don't worry! Mingle! Eat food! Don't think about all the bad things going on right now!! And don't forget to read the rules near the punch bowl.

RULES ☆ EFFECTS ☆ Q&A ☆ TURN-IN ☆ WINNERS & ENDGAME

Comments

RULES

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IC INSTRUCTIONS
(this can be found written down on a paper near the punch bowl, but you also just innately get to know how this is going down.)

Step One: Pour yourself a glass of punch!
Step Two: Mingle with your trainmates and ask questions to get to know them
Step Three: Try to tell the truth! If you can’t, you better take a drink because it’s going to be a long night
Step Four: ?????
Step Five: WIN


OOC CLARIFICATION

This is your standard kind of “Truth or Drink” game, with a little bit of a twist for flavor! Instead of serving alcohol at this game, Nightmare has decided to serve fruit punch spiked with fairy magic.

The aim of this game is to answer as many questions as you can truthfully! If your character tries to lie then they will be compelled to take a drink! If you can’t answer truthfully (or at all) then you will have to take a drink of punch. What happens after you take the drink is randomized from this list of effects.

There will be a minimum of three winning teams from this game! Winners will be determined by three criteria; which team can answer the most questions truthfully, which team can force the most people to drink, and finally “Nightmare’s choice” which is basically a wild card win based on whatever exchange was “the most amusing” as determined by the game runner.

Which status effects you get won’t affect your scores in any way, they’re just here for flavor and to make your time harder a little more interesting!

Your characters do not know what the status effects of the fruit punch are.

EFFECTS

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RNG THIS or just choose oocly

1. Nothing (just. nothing happens.)
2. Increased Gullibility (multi-turn effect)
3. The next question must be answered truthfully (1-turn effect)
4. Fire Hiccups (just like a dragon. 2-turn effect, just to avoid wide-scale destruction)
5. “Love Potion” (you’re just feeling reeeeaally affectionate now. multi-turn effect)
6. Heightened Emotions (multi-turn effect)
7. Everything Is Funny Now (multi-turn effect)
8. Sprout flowers (multi-turn effect, might wanna skip this if you’re not into lowkey body horror. your 9. choice of flowers.)
9. +10% Furry (any animal, limited to ears/tails/etc. can stack. multi-turn effect)
10. You’re A Poet (and you didn’t even know it. rhyme all your sentences. multi-turn effect0
11. Increased Paranoia (multi-turn effect)
12. Silence (better learn how to charades. 2-turn effect)
13. GLITTER!! (you just sparkle now. and get sparkles everywhere. multi-turn effect)

note 1: Some effects have turn limits for the purpose of avoiding too much damage to the game or the set. “Turns” are basically however long it takes for your character to ask a question in return, or until the thread ends, whichever comes first.

note 2: Multi-turn basically means “however long you want to play with this is fine”. Some effects may cancel out other effects, or you can just try to play with both. Whatever goes!

Q&A

[hot_mess_express]

Ask questions here! Or in discord I guess, whichever.

(frozen comment) TURN-IN

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Comment here tallying up,

1. How many questions you answered without drinking
2. How many times you forced others to drink
3. OPTIONAL: link a thread you think is fun! Did you get someone to spill a particularly juicy secret? Were you successful in dodging questions with half-truths and redirections for 50 comments straight? Did you drink 50 gallons of fruit punch just to see what happens? Anything goes!

Links to individual threads for 1 and 2 aren’t necessary, but you’re welcome to link regardless. Whatever works for you!

Threads do not necessarily have to be completed to count for 3.

For 1 and 2 the question as well as the reaction to the question should at least be present to count.

You have until March 24th, 10pm pst to turn-in.

(frozen comment) GINGER

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(frozen comment) THYME

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(frozen comment) SENNA

[hot_mess_express]

(frozen comment) JASMINE

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(frozen comment) LICORICE

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(frozen comment) CLOVER

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WINNERS/ENDGAME

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Did you enjoy the party? The food? The child chorus renditions of such classical hits as Oops I Did It Again? Well, whether you did or not, all good(?) things must come to a sudden, and abrupt end.

Really it’s sudden, the music just suddenly shuts off and is instead replaced with a monotone, almost bored-sounding voice.

It’s the birthday boy.

“Riiiiiight, party’s over everyone, I’m tired so you all have to go home. Exit’s over that way.” What way? There’s a door somewhere now. Wait, was that always there and you didn’t notice?

“Don’t forget to grab a party bag on your way out. Now, for the “winners”.... our first winner tonight is Jasmine for making the most small talk. Our second winner is Thyme and Licorice both for making Naeva drink. Man is she the only one that drank anything, seriously….

And our third winner is gonna go to both Senna for being naughty children that sneak booze into a birthday party. Seriously, who even does that?

I was gonna give you all a few words of passing wisdom, but… from what I saw here today honestly, I don’t think any of you would really get it. So I’ll just say this instead.

Small talk and avoiding hurting each other is all well and good, for now. But sooner or later you’re going to have to let someone into your cracks… otherwise, you’re just going to break.”

And then, in a saccharine cheerful tone;

“Congratulations to everyone who played, you’re all winners! Now leave!”

All the lights go out except for whatever lights up the exit. There are actual treat bags on a table near the door, they're just filled with sweets as if you didn't get enough of those. The stars are all shining in team colors when you finally return to your train.

Nightmare himself is nowhere to be seen.


( every team who attended the game won, so congratulations! if you actually drank anything and want to keep effects you're welcome to for as long as you like, otherwise you can just assume they wore off upon you exiting Nightmare's domain )

still not suspicious

[horsejokes]

[ Anyways, some guy’s already sitting at one of the kids tables, a party hat over his eyes as he leans precariously backwards in one of the chairs with his feet propped against the table. He’s just humming along to the music, really. Just hanging out and enjoying himself. No big. ]

[desirestruth]

[I have this incredibly strong sense of Deja Vu.]

Hello?

Re: still not suspicious

[nihilmancy]

[Squinting suspiciously at the man.]

...You are not one of the passengers.

[desirestruth]

[Well, here she is. With a glass of punch. Squinting at the piece of paper. And then the punch bowl. And then the piece of paper.]

What in the world...?

[malignstar]

That's what I'm saying.

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow takes a sniff of the punch, considering it carefully. ]

It doesn't smell like alcohol...

[desirestruth]

I don't think it is alcohol...?

[This might be confusing her more than the instructions. Who would do that???]

[malignstar]

Okay, was that weird for anyone else?

[bowtiedbones]

The fairy circle was new.

[voreaciously]

[



okay you know what since she knows the rules she is just.

she's already eating.

she's gonna need it because, god another one of THESE.]

[desirestruth]

...Miss?

[Are. Are you ok.]

[bowtiedbones]

[holding her glass with her fingertips and away from herself, like it's full of something foul]

Okay? I don't mind being truthful.

[desirestruth]

...I suspect that's not true for roughly half the people here.

[She's poured gin into her juice. She's here to party. Hello.]

[cawnflict]

[ oh no.

oh no this can't be good. he is glaring at the punch—it's not even real alcohol????? weakling—and... well.

he's pretty clearly looking for a place to dump it out into. ]

[desirestruth]

Ciabatta.

[Here's Naeva. Naeva has her cup and a bottle of gin. Naeva's here to party, but she's also staring at you a bit.]

[nihilmancy]

[Oh no, the truth.

Time to drink a lot of punch!]

[unaffective]

[ sort of... squints at the festivities... the music... the decorations....

the sugar. really not her speed at all. but a trial is a trial, so she gets a cup of punch and flags - you down! yes, you! ]

Good morning. Would you be interested in playing?

[desirestruth]

Mmm? I suppose so.

[She's eyeballing the marshmellow pops.]

[grimpa]

[LET'S DO THIS!! getting a cup of punch.]

Very well. Who would like to play?

[desirestruth]

We may as well.

[Hello large friend.]

[acts_her_age]

[I know I should be grateful this isn't a mauling game, and yet,]

[maybe if I keep the disgust off my face and just look cute people will go easy on me]

What's your favorite color?

[voreaciously]

[yeah but she knows you]

Blue.

Cat

[wontforbidtherain]

This is a trial?

[well, so far no maulings.]