MADE BY MIZO

[attr="class","dec2"]Please let me know if you need clarification on anything! But basically, you can do whatever you want!!

One by one, the lot chooses their paths. Alexander casts magic on himself and Barret, as all the others have proceeded with their paths.

The last path, lit by the orange crystals, calls to Barret as he’s slowly pushed forward by a gust of wind. Once his boots pass the entrance of the path, the wall seals up behind him -- the last of the paths, taken.



When the door to the path closes behind Fran, locking into place with a loud, stony slam, for a moment she is stuck in darkness. In the next second, the halls come alive with magic; torches burning with a beautiful and mesmerizing blue flame. The first thing Fran may notice is that the walls appear to be made out of some sort of prized mineral -- glittering silvers and golds.

The path is long and winds to and fro, snaking Fran along the fanciful halls. As she continues down her path, Fran will come to see interesting trinkets of note. Large statues of long forgotten men and women, made of metals and gems. Coins litter the ground at their feet, along with cut gems and small, strangely carved antiques.

Just past the statues, however, lies a door. As Fran approaches the door, she will behold a most wondrous sight. The large doors open wide to reveal a chasm filled to the brim with forgotten goods; a thief’s dream. Bags of coins overflow onto the floor, stacked in piles. Maps of lost lands lay folded on top of barrels filled with gems, pearls and other beauties abound. An interesting mix of magical items lay in another corner; weapons imbued with an ethereal glow, promising a power never held before.

Mixed amongst all the thousands of beautiful goods, however, are skeletal remains. Some of them are mixed in with the coins, one upon a golden throne. Another lies face down in beautiful silks.

However, their presence is nearly hidden within the glorious chasm that pulls at every tempting receptor in one’s body.

On the other side of the room is a door. It appears drab compared to the beauty of the rest of the room, embedded only with the blue crystals that led to the initial path. A lock sits on its frame, barring any immediate entry.

PURPLE CRYSTAL PATH - EMMA

The path closes behind the confident Turk with a slam, echoing off of the walls of the path ahead of her. The purple crystals only give off a little light, leaving Emma in slight darkness for the first few minutes of her venture. However, the further she travels, the more the dark cavern seems to come to life. Emerging from behind the crystals come little flames, bouncing about. Their warm fire lights the path, small eyeballs blinking at Emma as she moves along.

They follow her, behind and in front, leading the way. Glowing, fluttering butterfly spirits emerge from the walls, flapping their delicate wings as the bob and weave through the fire spirits, before returning beyond the wall. Their brief blue glow lights the dark air ahead and behind as they float about, coming in and out of the walls like strange ghosts.

The path seems too alive. Magic buzzes along the walls silently, seeming to shape the darkness ahead of Emma. As if it's creating the path from scratch as she moves along. It takes shape, no one or two crystals ever looking alike, no mossy rocks along the wall seeming like one another.

Eventually, the path opens up to reveal a grand room. Crystals of all colors spike out of the ground, the walls, the ceilings. Power surges through them intermittently, different colors coming to life one after another. In the center of the room is a beautiful shell atop a stone staircase. Floating inside of the shell is a blue crystal, similar to the one hanging from Emma’s neck. It pulses with power, to and fro, like the pull of waves on a shore.

It floats just above the open shell, free for the taking to anyone brave enough to climb the stairs and reach for it. It gives off a feeling of power beyond all recognition. In fact, the closer one draws to it, the more it feels like they could do with the crystal. Part the oceans, tame the seas. Flood the cities for wronging them. Draw on the power of ancient beings.

And behind the raised platform leading to the crystal, is a door. It remains locked, a heavy chain in place.

RED CRYSTAL PATH - ZELL

The door grinds to a close behind Zell, locking him away from the group for an indefinite amount of time. What lies on the other side, only he and he alone would get to experience.

The glow of the red crystals calls the young blonde forward, urging him to move along. There is no way to go but forward, facing the long and winding path. There are a few notable features on the otherwise bland stone walls of the cavern, however. Large, angry claw marks litter the left side of the path intermittently, stained with something old, something rusty and red. Whether it appears to be bloody simply because of the glowing red crystals, or if it actually is wet, sticky blood, is for Zell to discover should he be so curious.

However, the further Zell travels down the path, the more he may begin to notice the same things over and over. A similar clawed pattern on the wall. The same, rusted sword, caught in between two rocks. Wait, isn’t that the same cluster of crystals he just passed … ?

The more Zell moves along the path, the more clear it becomes he’s wandering in a circle somehow. He sees the same rocks, the same crystals, the same skeleton propped up against a stone. The same claw marks, the same discarded weapons.

Clearly, an infuriating experience.

The path repeats itself time and time again, until Zell’s frustration is at its peak. It’s then, and only then, that a new path opens before him. A great, open cavern is revealed, lit by the red, crystalline light and fires that burn on torches along the walls. There is movement in the back of the room, shadows shifting upon the walls. There are voices, voices that are both recognizable and strange.

The figures have their backs turned to Zell, but if he approaches quietly, he can hear what they’re talking about. They appear to be a part of an army … the Galbadian army. And they’re planning an invasion of Balamb. The Soldiers and General are mapping out plans to set fire to the city, because the residents have been making the occupation difficult! They laugh as they discuss the amount of death and destruction that will occur.

Just past the group, behind their backs, is another door.

YELLOW CRYSTAL PATH - ALEX

Wrong path or not, the wall closes behind Alex, leaving him with nothing but the glow of the yellow crystals that dotted along the wall. The path ahead wasn’t bright, but it wasn’t too dim either. It was oddly perfect for a cavern, the color more reminiscent of a barely-there sunrise. Always on the horizon of the winding, long trail was that color of sunshine, tempting one to freedom from the cold, unrelenting waters of the sea.

The longer Alex travels, the more relief comes to his spirit. Whether it’s the doubly casted regen spells, or the magic of the cave, it’s hard to tell. However, the air grows warmer and the ground somehow softer beneath his boots. The ceiling overhead seems to occasionally glow with the patterns of stars as he passes underneath of it.

A low, strange humming noise fills the air. It’s pleasant, like the hum of trustworthy magic in one’s hand. However, it seems to be making an oddly soothing tune. Not quite a lullaby, but not quite an incantation. It’s soothing … So soothing …

The path is testing, though. It leads to rocks that have to be climbed, so that Alexander can squeeze through a hole at the top to reach the other side. More than once, the path takes a turn under the water, requiring a swim against the current. The final descent toward the open cave below is steep, and requires a deft hand and foot placement, weight shifting back and forth, tiring out anyone who dares wander down the path.

After a long, long journey, Alex comes to the final cavernous space. Dim fires line the walls, revealing a cozy area to rest. There is a table filled with goods; drinks of rum, water, and something fizzy. Various fruits and vegetables are stacked together amongst meats and cheeses, sliced and ready for eating.

Against the wall is a bed, lined with woollen blankets and downy pillows. Again, the hum of magic lulls anyone listening, making their stomachs growl and their eyes feel heavy.

On the other side of the cavern is a door, locked with a chain that seems so … so heavy and difficult to remove, all of a sudden.



The wind pushes Barret inside of the path, and the stone door grinds to a close behind him. Orange crystals pulse with their ethereal glow, showing the right steps to take to continue on down the winding path.

As Barret makes his way down the path, life begins to spring up around his feet. It starts with a weed here or there, a dandelion poking out of a crack in the floor. However, the further he moves, the more begins to appear. Along the walls are vines that grow thicker and thicker with each step. The occasional weeds turn into a flush and flourishing grass. The occasional animal peeks its head out from behind a bush or a flower, eyeing the stranger before darting back into the brush.

Despite the beauty, the path is still daunting. At one point, the cavern is filled with trees that Barret must make his way through. At another point, most of the cavern floor drops out into darkness, the path suddenly much skinnier and lined only with the occasional tree to grab onto for balance. Below is nothingness, no green, no orange crystals -- nothing. However, once that area is cleared, the path opens up once more to beautiful flowers and trees.

A bird calls from somewhere, chirping a welcome.

The orange glow of the crystals makes the scene feel like a sunset in a beautiful forested land. The air is filled with the scent of pine and flowers, and the humidity from the cave, previously overwhelming and clammy, suddenly feels warm and welcoming.

Eventually, Barret comes to an archway of trees that lead into a huge cavern. The ceiling, spanning further than he could even see, seems to be lined with clouds and the lightest bit of sunshine peeking through. The edges of the cavern are lined with thick trees, where critters of all shapes and sizes climb through the branches happily. Birds fly overhead from one side to the next, calling for one another as they play in the air. In the center of the room is a beautiful patch of yellow lilies, swaying gently in the breeze.

In the center of the lilies is a raised platform, with a strange liquid inside. If one were to look into the liquid, they would see their home, more beautiful than it has ever been before. Filled with green and life, people living together peacefully. And there, they would see their loved ones, waiting for them among the flowers.

Just past the reflections of the liquid, showing you everything you’ve been wanting to see for your home, is a shining orb. It doesn’t speak to you, but somehow, you know; if you take it, you can have this reality for your home.

However, just past the pedestal is a door, covered in glowing, orange crystals. The lock on it is small, swaying gently in the breeze.


[During this part of the thread, the DM will respond immediately after everyone’s posts to explain what happens when they do or don’t interact with something. Please wait to respond until after everyone has had their initial post.

IE: Fran posts, DM posts. Emma posts, DM posts. Zell posts, DM posts. Etc.

Once everyone has had their first round of responses, you may begin the second round. That round will only require one post from those who require further interaction with their respective rooms.

IE: Fran posts, Emma posts, Zell posts, etc. with a DM post at the end, as usual.]

DM NOTE: Barret has used his 1 skip.