Castle of a Thousand Illusions [Private Plot]

[cityship]

[This is for Team 1: Lash, Zetta, Martha, Howard, Doctor, Chell, Doc, Sumeragi. The first shore leave / observation deck post is here where they can say goodbye to others.]

As they arrived and landed, there was just a small track of land with one large wooden boat. A man, clothed in black, ushered them in. He didn't answer anything, in fact from the way he squeaked from rust, it was easily to see he was mechanical. Even the water didn't look that deep until near the end, as what looked like sharks swam around them menacingly before disappearing abruptly as they arrived in the middle of a black obsidian castle. The landing wasn't gentle, and everyone was pushed against each other, as the boat lifted itself up and dropped them all together on top of stacks of hay.

There were two rooms leading out. One had carved in "YOUNDER MALE OR WHATEVER SPECIES" and the other "YOUNDER DEM BEAUTIES". Inside, each would find leather outfits, and white underwear so there would be no chaffing. They could use their plantsuits for that too. Soft moccasins for their feet too with a note that while it was not era-perfect, they figured they would appreciate not having too many bruises on their feet (at least for now). The leather was pretty fresh from the smell and looked to have been made just the right size for each person too.

Kinda really creepy when you thought about it.

But that wasn't the worst of it, oh no. The doors would not open until everyone was fully clothed. For those that still refused, ghostly white hands came out of the walls and did the deed for them, removing all weapons and putting them in the appropriate attire before giving a thumbs up and disappearing again.

As the second door opened, with a red glowing orb turning green, they could see many doors leading around twisting, moving stairs that somehow didn't quite seem possible.

The sound of a gong going off somewhere. Again. Three times. Suddenly the weather shifted to sunset (and never changed) and one could swear those ghost hands were now throwing plastic seagulls in the air, as they mostly flew for a few seconds and crashed into the walls. Seawater was blasted off from tiny little spray bottles.

A large scroll appeared, dusted itself sending dust bunnies flying into the air and unwounded before them.

ATTENTION CONTESTANTS! WELCOME YE FAIR OF MIND AND BODY, TO THE GREATEST PHYSICAL CHALLENGE IN ALL THE UNIVERSE!

After what sounded like someone thinking about it, coughing, a few more words appeared.

PLEASE HOLD ON WHILE YOUR HOST GREETS YOU, IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. THIS IS OUR PLAN, WHICH WE ARE TELLING YOU, THE CONTESTANTS.

Comments

First Challenge - The Doctor

[cityship]

"Ah! Come in, come in, come in dear boy!" The old man hopped spryly down from the ladder on which he'd stood. His leg immediately buckled beneath him, and he went down in a heap of robes.

A moment later he pushed himself back up with the aid of a cane he'd left beside the latter. "Oh my, oh dear, I seem to be somewhat old, don't I? It comes from having so few visitors. Well then, well then, well then. I assume this is what you're looking for?"

From his beard, the old man drew out a key, affixed to a large wooden float.

Re: First Challenge - The Doctor

[makeherblue]

The Doctor eyed that plank, which really looked like it belonged on a proper pirate ship, and then turned to the old man just as he decided to take a bit of a tumble.

"Whoops!" The Doctor started to go help the old man up before he saved him the trouble.

Old? Oh yes, he thought the man was very incredibly old, and not in that regular human way where they though shooting for only eighty was something worth celebrating about. He couldn't recall the last time he'd been called "dear boy". Then again, young face. New body. New bits and pieces and everything. The Doctor snooped behind the old man and his impressive beard with that key hiding function built in. He considered himself as impressed with the beard as the key and the float, the Doctor coming up behind the Elder to peer at him and then at the key.

"Quite possibly. Or maybe not, because I must say, the view is fantastic." Give him a few seconds and he might rush toward that window. "Not many visitors, you say? What about that Chaos fella?"

[cityship]

"Ah, yes. He and his daughter stop by every year," the man said, stroking his bead thoughtfully. "Of course, for anthropomorphic manifestations of chaos, a year really is quite an arbitrary term. So many suns, dear boy, and so many planets with really quite interesting and arbitrary periods of revolution. He claims there's quite a sophisticated system behind his determination, but personally..."

The old man leaned in to pat the Doctor on the shoulder. "I think he's making everything up."

Turning, he hobbled over to a table in the midst of the tower room, on which a large tome sat open. "Well then. Are you ready for the riddle? We might as well get it over with. Dare not leave your comrades alone, and all."

[makeherblue]

You know, the Doctor was already growing rather fond of this funny old man. Wasn't often he met someone remotely close to his age and he had...well, he had flare! The Doctor appreciated flare. Flare was good. Flare was interesting and all his companions could probably agree on how much he liked interesting.

The Doctor flashed the Elder with a grin at the shoulder pat. "Probably is." After resisting the urge to poke at the plank, the Doctor turned and followed the old man over to the table and a book that was trying so very hard to be impressive that the Doctor thought maybe he ought to pretend he was so incredibly impressed that there wasn't even a word for it.

"I'm sure they'd be fine," the Doctor flapped his hand. Give him something new, weird and interesting and suddenly he was quite happy to take as long as he needed. He cocked his head to peer at the pages. "I take it you've had a look already, yeah?"

[cityship]

"They're my riddles," the old man explained with a hint of pride. "Though I must say I'm quite glad you have a sensible body. Head, two of many relevant things and whatnot. The last contestant was some horrible blob thing. Countless bubbles and a mimicking cry, you know. Quite dreadful to come up with a riddle for. I think this one is quite better."

He ran a finger down the pages of the book, then stopped it abruptly. With some effort he pushed the mighty mass of paper over, turning towards a page quite near the back.

"Now then. I shall speak the riddle, then turn the timer, and you shall have until its expiry to guess. Quite the thing, these timers, quite the thing." The old man picked up an hourglass cut from crystal, gave it a slight shake to loosen the sand, then spoke quite clearly.

"Even the loneliest man will never lack a date,
But after a year the garbage is its fate."

Then, he turned the hourglass in his hands.

[makeherblue]

Horrible blob thing! It sounded less horrible and more amazing, the Doctor opening his mouth to ask about the previous contestant just as the old man nosed in before he could get a word out.

A riddle!

The Doctor listened for a moment as the Elder recited the riddle, turning it over in his head like one of those annoying little Rubik's cubes from Earth (silly things - never cared for them), his own face taking on an expression of polite interest. Riddles didn't strike him as quite as interesting as that great big book or who this incredibly old man who looked like he ought to share tea with Analog the Time Dragon and oh, yeah! The riddle! The Doctor swung his head and faced the hour glass. Squinted at it. Squinted at it some more. Squinted at the Elder. Changed his mind and squinted right back at the hour glass.

He ticked off some imaginary points on his finger, thinking with his hands.

"Dates and rubbish and fate (horrid little word, 'fate'!)." The Doctor paced a circle around the room and then turned. "Time would be too easy. And clocks are no good. Degree?"

The Doctor kept his orbit, suddenly reaching out and grabbing the Elder and swinging him about so they were quite close, nose to nose practically. The Doctor could feel from here how incredibly ancient this man was. Unlike Analog, he felt...well, safer. No Lord Bolt robes here!

"Not a degree." The Doctor bobbed like a boat in the harbor, trying to think. He snapped his fingers. "Calender! Rubbish after a year if you're stuck in linear time which is terribly boring, actually."

[cityship]

"Right, dear boy!" the old man said, beaming. "Quite right, quite right, and you cannot imagine how glad I am. Cleaning up the mess is always such a dreadful chore."

He clapped the Doctor on one shoulder, then offered him the key. "This, then, is yours, and well-earned."

[makeherblue]

The Elder's smile was infectious. "Oh yes! Thank you!" the Doctor grinned right back. "Probably don't want to ask what the mess is," he added, in that tone that he most certainly did want to know.

He held up the key, turning it in the light as if he hadn't ever quite seen a key like this before.