Chapter 3: Performance Review

GM You are standing in an attic holding your stomach. You don’t know why but you feel uneasy. No light enters through the window opposite the painting, but a small candle is lit on the floor near the stairwell. A young woman is awkwardly sitting backwards in a chair. Her arms propped up on the chairback and her skirt scrunched up around the back posts. The darkness distorts the room, but you recognize her as Altissa “Tiss” LeMeyne.
Tiss, the Guildmaster’s personal assistant, stands from her seat allowing her garment to fall to its full length about her ankles. She grins at you, but you’ve known Tiss long enough to know when she’s faking; it’s obvious that right now is one of those times.
“Welcome back, errand boy! Have a nice trip? What’s wrong, tummy hurt?” Tiss chants in her typical condescending cadence. Classic Tiss, you think.
(Do you respond?)
Marcel "God... Why does my stomach hurt so much? What do you want Tiss? I'm apparently not doing well here considering I apparently got kicked out of the painting again." As I take a couple of breaths to get the queasiness off of me.
GM “You sure did!” She chuckles and immediately drops the smiling facade. “The Master is waiting for you downstairs. I was ordered to fetch you when you reappeared. Now come on, you know how he gets.”
Tiss picks up the small candle by the brass handle on its holder and begins to carry it downstairs pausing a moment to make sure you are following. The stairs below are pitch black.
You remember Sigmund warning you that the Boss would likely be waiting for you, but that felt like only an instant ago. You certainly haven’t had time to prepare. This is going to be unpleasant, it always is.
(Do you say anything first or follow silently?)
Marcel I brace myself and follow Tiss.
GM Tiss guides you down into the dark, empty house. There are almost no furnishings here, giving the residence and almost abandoned appearance. That desolate look has become more and more common since the earthquakes destroyed much of Illivan a few years ago.
After dodging a few crates and chairs the two of you reach another set of stairs descending further into the basement. A startled cat skitters up the steps after Tiss scares it away; likely one of her adopted strays. At the bottom of the stairs you open an iron door that doesn’t match the rest of the house. As it creaks open torchlight slips through into the stairwell along with crisp, cool air. This room is an antechamber to the tunnel system that connects this hideout to the guilds main base.
“Master Xeyebok is in past there,” she points to an empty archway attaching the next chamber. “I suspect he wants to see you alone, so I’ll just wait here. Good luck.” She sounds sincere, at least.
(Dare ye enter?)
Marcel I knock and enter the room "Hey Master Xeyebok! You good to see me?"
GM “Enter, Marcel.” You feel his voice vibrate through the room. A step around the archway and you see his round body behind a simple table with an empty chair. “Please sit.” He turns to you and you make contact with his large, amber colored eye. Don’t stare, you remind yourself. He is dark, especially amongst the dim lighting, and his skin is dry and scaly. You can tell that he is covered in a light layer of dirt, likely from traveling through the unstable tunnels to get here.
“Tell me; what of your mission so far? What have you learned in the maze?” Xeyebok’s voice is deep, gravelly, and matter-of-fact. You have made reports to him before and you know your tone doesn’t matter as long as you get your point across quickly.
Marcel "I'd love to tell you, sir, but I believe my memory of the maze stays in the maze." I say, very matter-of-factly
GM “Indeed, I predicted that would be potential side effect of utilizing the Astral Robe. Perhaps the memories still lie within you. Have you brought anything out of the maze?”
He moves closer to you in anticipation of reading your mind, but is waiting for your answer before starting.
(Do you resist? Roll wisdom save if so.)
Marcel I allow him to read my mind
GM Xeyebok completes his approach and is floating fully in front of you. All six of his eye stalks turn to you and glow a fluorescent magical aura. His wide mouth begins to curl up into a devious smile showing many of his sharp teeth.
“Yess, I see it there. You have done well in the short amount you’ve had. Keep those gems close, they will serve you well.” He releases his hold on your mind and begins to float back to the other side of the table.
“So the Woman requires something within the maze,” Xeyebok mumbles. “But she wishes to keep it hidden? Or perhaps the beast is holding her somehow?”
His orb shaped body turns to you once more. “I have an additional task for you, Marcel. Take a note so not to forget,” his emphasis would cause a normal man to wince. “Kill Chronia’s beast and bring me a sample of its... discharge. I will have Altissa prepare a vial for you. As compensation I will provide you a second Rod, as you requested.”
A foot long, flat, metal rod levitates from a shadowed chest you hadn’t noticed over to you; clearly under the influence of Xeyebok’s magic.
Marcel I accept the rod, taking it out of the air. "Thanks boss. I'll prepare to set out immediately." I take a quick bow and head out, thinking of the letter I'll have to write to myself.
GM You leave the room and hear the Guild master call out to Tiss. She nods her head to you and joins Xeyebok. You use the torchlight to pen your letter to your other self. Shortly, Tiss returns and guides you back to the painting in the attic. She gives you three small, 4-inch vials with cork stoppers.
“Some extras for when you screw up,” she adds with a grin.
GM (Is there anything you want to say/do before re-entering the maze?)
Marcel (Do I know what the contents of the vials are?)
GM (empty)
Marcel (Ah okay)
I will enter into the Maze
GM You are standing in a octagonal, crimson room. Black ornaments are mounted on the walls, in the center near where you stand hang long dark chains that end in empty manacles. The iron doors are partially open revealing the empty room of shadows beyond.
The last thing you remember is being disemboweled by Chronia’s crack-beast. Fidgeting you feel some paper tucked into your collar. Unfolding it reveals another letter to yourself.
(What does it say?)
Marcel "Dear me on the other side of the mirror,
Our boss has instructed us to kill Chronia's pet and extract some of its discharge to bring back to him. Good luck buddy. We are gonna need it."
I stare at it, trying to figure out my own instructions. They are my own handwriting... I chose to believe myself once more and continue into the next room
GM You enter the shadow latticed room just in time to witness Crucem’s blue figure emerge from a western door. She notices you too, almost immediately, and starts towards you with an eyebrow cocked. “Most interesting,” she says while phasing in and out of shadows. “How is it done; your reappearing act?” She extends her hand to probe at you with her blue, clawed fingers.
(How do you react?)
Marcel I slightly pull back from her probing finger and say "I haven't quite figured that one out yet, but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth"
GM “I’ll tell you, I stood by your body for a while waiting for something to happen after dispatching those spirits. Inevitably, those asinine, masked idiots distracted me; so I killed them,” she adds bluntly. Finally Crucem pulls her hand back after multiple failed attempts to pick at you. “When I finally returned my attention to your corpse it had vanished! You left behind a magical residue, you know. Very unsightly.” She steps away from you to return to her usual groove. “I decided to return here, but I hadn’t expected you to be,well, here as well. So, have you yet discovered your purpose in being in this prison-maze?”
(There are 3 paths ahead, left; to the room where shadows become pits. Right: to the Escher stairs, and straight: to the talking serpent mosaic.)
Marcel I begin walking towards the center path. "I think so. If I don't come back one of these times, I guess I found what my purpose in here is."
GM “Good luck then,” she calls from behind. “But hope you do not interfere with mine,” she mutters.
You enter once again the lair of the serpent mosaic. ‘Sss sss sss’ it hisses like laughter. You see the open exit to the rope bridges beyond.
Marcel I dance wildly across the floor to the other side.
GM The serpent clicks it’s tongue and sighs, “Fine, this again. Sure.”
You stand upon the edge of the black pit strung with rope suspension bridges.
(There are three paths; left: to the sword-stabbed man, right: to the stab-shell, straight: to the chess room.)
Marcel I go straight across the roped bridges into the chess room
GM You cross the bridge and return to the chess room. The pieces have once again been moved, and some are conversing with a new addition. Torgos Zooth and his two companions are now in this room questioning the white bishop and black king. You over hear him mention that he is still looking for his sons, as he was last time you met him. The weasel like creature is jumping from piece to piece while taunting the hand-snake abomination in a sing-song voice.
Torgos has not noticed you but a few nearby chess pieces begin to chant, “He returns!”
Marcel I just head towards the door, avoiding eye contact with anything
GM You trudge across the chessboard without stopping. As more of the chess pieces take in your presence they join in the chant, “He returns!”. The call is becoming dark and murderous, and overall quite upsetting. Torgos finally realizes you are there just as you reach the exit, “Excuse me sir, a moment of your time? Have you seen my sons? Oh, okay.” He sighs as you leave the room.
You are once again the the sticky-eye-room. (Roll acrobatics to cross)
Marcel 7
GM You step into the viscous floor as you have twice before. Your focus is spent entirely on the reaching the other side, however you failed to notice the skating eye banking up from behind. Suddenly your body is frozen and you begin to sink slowly into the pitch depths below. You have been caught in the jade gaze of this magical eye. The other eyes begin to approach you as well, altering their path as if alerted to your trespassing. Your vision is filled with green, then black as you dip fully into the ink. The viscous darkness enters your mouth and nostrils slowly, and you feel it fill your throat and lungs. You cannot breath now, and your heart is beating faster and faster until you feel something pop at the pack of your head.
You are standing in the attic room catching your breath. You feel like you were just holding your breath, but you cannot remember. Tiss is here; her eyes glazed over as she stares out the window out of sheer boredom. She may be half asleep.
(What do you do?)
Marcel I quietly sneak back into the painting after noticing Tiss asleep
GM You are standing in a octagonal, crimson room. Black ornaments are mounted on the walls, in the center near where you stand hang long dark chains that end in empty manacles. Behind you is a large painting of a dark attic. The iron doors ahead are partially open revealing the room of latticed shadows beyond.
You begin to feel frustrated that keep having to repeat your journey, but you feel you know how to get to where you where quickly.
(Would you like to get back to the sticky-eye-room?)
Marcel I go back to the room!
GM The jade eyes skate across the floor as if you had never been here.
You hesitantly cross the room, careful to not make any mistakes, and when you come to the other side you reach the t-junction that leads to Chronia’s room. Also arriving at this junction is a shambling form, wrapped in bandages, and overstuffed with index cards. The mummy’s face is uncovered and grotesque, mocking the appearance of a sun-dried lizard. The tail protruding from its behind suggests that description isn’t too far off.
As suddenly as he appeared the mummy is grasping at you and moaning, “Myyyy Aarrrrchiiive.... I’m loooost!”
Marcel "Hey man, calm down!" I say as he tries to grasp at me. I then take a gulp, take a couple of steps back, and ask him "Who are you? And where are you going?"
GM As you pull away he keeps pushing forward grabbing at your arms. “The daaaarkneesssss. I musssssst reetuuuurrrn!” The creature is obviously struggling to maintain its grip as one of the seams on its body bursts and reams of index cards fly out.
Marcel I sort of take a few quick steps backwards and charge towards Chronia's room, deciding to deal with that mess later
GM You break away from the mummy and dive into Chronia’s room. The mummy attempts to follow you again but slips on its expelled index cards, crashing into the floor.
Leaving it behind you hear Chronia’s soft voice ahead.
“Oh Fracture,” she sighs, “You haven’t been very well behaved recently.” You make the corner to see Fracture-of-the-Bone feeding from Chronia’s side, lapping at blood and crunching away at rapidly regenerating skin. “Whatever shall we do?” Her voice begins to drift away as she slips into another euphoric high.
Marcel (Can I attempt to sneak up on Fracture?)
GM (Both are distracted by the feeding. Roll perception to look for an approach)

GM There are not many places to hide, as most features of this room have eroded away. You do notice the alcove where Fracture emerged from during your last visit; a kind of small cave that extends into the wall.
You creep into the cave with great success. Inside is dark and dry. In the back you spot that there are a few sheets of paper sticking out of a nearly hidden cranny. Likely impossible to notice from the outside.
(What do you do here?)
Marcel I enter the cranny, picking up a sheet of paper as I enter
GM Tucking yourself into the corner you begin to read one of, apparently, many letters addressed to Chronia Torn.
“Dearest Chronia,
It feels as if ages have passed since I last received a letter from you. Please, if I have done something to offend you please tell me. I’m not one to wax about my emotions, but I lo I mis I’m deeply troubled by our growing distance.

P”

Glancing over the other letters you can tell that they are all addressed to Chronia from “P”. The contents seem to indicate that this one way correspondence has be occurring for a long time.
Marcel I peek out of the alcove, waiting for Fracture to leave his owner's side
GM The feeding ends after another ten minutes, as Chronia slips into a sandy slumber. Fracture begins to meander it’s way towards the alcove.
(You have a surprise round)
Marcel I hide in the alcove, waiting for Fracture to come in close. When his footsteps become near, I leap out slashing at him with my blade
GM Your magical blade makes direct contact. The hot blade sinks deep into Fracture’s neck, carving through the hard chitin on his back. If there was a face to match Fracture’s mouth, it would be filled with terror as his body falls limp into the sand.
There must have been some kind of muscle inside Fracture’s body that controlled the flow of the drug, and it is obvious that that muscle is now slacked because of the now copious flow streaming down the spines of his back.
Marcel I scramble for a vial and attempt to fill it full of the flowing liquid
GM Your first vial quickly fills up to its brim. Plugging the stopper down displaces the contents enough that some ends up on your hand, and you feel a rush of euphoria coupled with an equally strong sense of vulnerability.
There is still more liquid discharge coming; more than enough to fill all of your vials.
Marcel I relish in the feeling rushing through my body before reminding myself that I have work to do. I fill the rest of my vials before I drag his body to the alcove
GM You drag Fracture’s limp body back into the hole, leaving a large groove in the sand. Chronia stirs in her corner, turning away from you into her side.
(What is your next move?)
Marcel (Do I know if I were to hit her with the orb of returning, would she be transported against her will?)
GM (You have no idea how they work)
Marcel I proceed to walk as calmly as I can towards her, palming a orb of returning in my hand. As I go, I examine the orb to get a better understanding of the mechanism on this this thing.
GM During your approach you take your first actual examining look at the orb.
The orb is a dark, coppery metal ball covered in odd markings. First, it is broken into thirteen longitudinal sections, like a peeled orange. Several more rings orbit the surface crossing over the segments in varying directions. Covering the whole surface is a network of intricate patterns that remind you of the jeweled eggs popular among Rosaran noble houses.
You do not recognize any meaning to the patterns. Due to a few repeating symbols, you think this might have been a language at some point in history.
Looking past the orb you see that your hand has aged greatly. Looking up, you are closer to Chronia than you have ever been before. Your knees weaken beneath you as your body grows heavier.
Marcel How heavy is the orb? Have I figured out a possible mechanism by which this thing works?
GM You believe the orb is about 3-5 pounds, and that it may activate by turning the parts along the lines.
Your arms are weak now too, and you slowly begin to lower down into the sand despite your better wishes. It’s hard to breathe now, your eyes are getting heavy and the room is starting to darken.
You are about 12 feet from Chronia.
(You have time for one action before you die of extreme age.)
Marcel I gulp, take a deep breath, and throw the orb towards Chronia while twisting it before it leaves my hands
GM You are able to partially turn part of the orb before a weak motion to toss it. The orb lands into the sand inches from the tips of your fingers.

You are standing in the attic room in front of the now empty painting. It is still dark outside the attic window and Tiss sits quietly nearby; her face expressionless as she watches you. There is a new weight in your robe pocket.