Rite of Passage; Trials of the Twilight kingdom.

[Arin]

Arin walked beneath the waterfall of the lake and saw the emblem of the twilight kingdom, marveling at it's design. When he saw the two handles embedded into the wall, inserted in a circular indentation in the wall, he placed both hands on the two separate handles, and tried to turn them manually.

They didn't budge.

Arin groaned softly when the handles didn't seem to move or turn at all, getting frustrated with the fact that he couldn't even get past the front gate on his own. Eventually, he reached out to Syraki for help <Syraki? There's a door with a double-handled locking system on this pathway. the wall has three different sunburst patterns on the stone surface. What can you tell me about this?>

<Crafty. Well, the Twilight kingdom has a combined emblem for their banners. The light sigil has arrows curling outward, linked near the center in eight directions. Darkness has bolt-like tribal designs for theirs, circling the center of the sunburst. The twilight sigil is a combination of both, and has teardrop-like designs in the center that form a ring. Does that help?>

Arin pondered Syraki's words for a moment, before an idea struck him <Yeah, I think so. Thanks.> After breaking the telepathic link, he placed both hands on the two handles. He then began to focus on separating his auras into two equal portions: Light for light, dark for dark. He felt some stone moving behind the wall and gave the handles a few test motions.

The two handles turned in opposite directions. The right handle turned from its vertical position and rotated 90 degrees, counter-clockwise. The left handle, also vertically held, rotated the opposite way; rotating 90 degrees in a clockwise motion. Arin could feel the handles were loose now, and he tried to push them in. The handles gave way for a couple of inches inward, then he heard a loud thunk from behind the wall. Giving the handles another twist, he felt them rotating in their respective opposite directions, a full 180 degrees for both handles.

Trying for one final time, he pulled back, and there was a bit of resistance this time. But when the handles were back in what appeared to be their original spot on the wall, the entire structure began to rumble, and air began to hiss through cracks in the wall's structure.

The wall began to sink downward, until there was barely any of the protective stone barrier left above the surface, and leading to a winding stairway, which Death was waiting for him.

"Most impressive, child...Many have spent hours simply trying to discover the combination to that doorway...You are making use of the knowledge you have acquired, I see." Arin started walking down the stairway, following Death and channeling some light into his hand to keep him from tripping over his own feet. "Bits and pieces come now and then, but I did need Syraki's help understanding the signs on the wall.

Despite being such and old stairway, forgotten by time, it was extremely well kept, almost as if it was maintained by some form of magic. Arin put that out of mind for now, as he needed to focus on the trials ahead. As tey walked down the seemingly endless stairway, Arin couldn't help but have some curiosity of what might be waiting for him. "...Has anyone ever survived and come back, without the relic?"

"...Yes...They were too afraid of the sight that awaited them at the end to proceed further...fearing for their own lives...They surely had the potential...bearing the powers that you possess as well...But theirs were not entirely natural...or not even at all...simply trained to wield the power as a means to steal it for fortune..."

"...Have they told stories of what they saw? What they experienced? Maybe it will help me understand what I might expect down here."

"I do not observe the lives of men...only their end...But I have come here numerous times...met with shattered souls...ripped from their bodies and trapped in a loop of falsities...believing to have claimed the prize they sought..."

Arin just swallowed hard, trying to digest what Death had just told him "...Jesus...I can't imagine something like that ever happening to anyone I knew, even someone I didn't like..." "The twilight kingdom is equally as cruel in their punishments as they are just...The relic did not belong to those who came before you, so they were punished with false visions of success...Of the bodies I have encountered down here, I have seen many that were battered, and many who were unharmed...I see both physical and spiritual trials coming your way, Arin Delas...But the ultimate test will be claiming what everyone believes is yours."

They finally reached the bottom of the stairs, where a large door awaited them. This was when Death turned to face Arin, his apathetic gaze burning into Arin's pupils "From here, you must continue your journey alone...I shall await for the moment you arrive at the altar...But perish before that time, and I will be there to collect your soul...and these spirits will have to wait an eternity for something that may never come...bear that in mind, boy." 

With that, Death vanished, leaving Arin alone for the first time in his entire journey in this world. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the doors open and proceeded to the first trial, unsure of what may await him.

((From here, the trials will be played out by another member of the staff team, as per the rules of the forum))

[Tetsuya]

A long, darkened corridor stretched out in front of Arin as he stepped passed the doors, which almost immediately slammed behind him once he was clear, and leaving him in total darkness. As if sensing his life force, torches lining across the walls of the corridor lit one after another further in, illuminating the corridor the young man had found himself in.

Soon the torches stopped lighting, finally reaching what looked like another door further down. The corridor was bare of any sort of hints at traps or obstacles, though the feeling of something that might happen pervaded the atmosphere. Arin found himself completely alone, with the light of flickering, odd flames to light his way forward. If he took a closer look at the torches, he would find that there was nothing fueling them, suggesting magic was currently flowing along the walls somehow.

[Arin]

Arin looked around at the hallway, sensing the magic that was illuminating the torches, the light showing no immediate signs of traps that could block his way. Deciding there was no point turning back, which he couldn't do even if he wanted to, he pressed forward, hand on his sword and treading carefully down toward the door at the opposite end of the hallway.

With nothing happening so far, this was going to be a nerve-racking trek, no telling if anything might happen. But with his improved darkvision, he could see clearly in darker spots in the hallway, if he needed to. What was on his mind right now, however, was when the trials were going to begin.

[Tetsuya]

The air is practically dead silent while Arin walks through the corridor, the only things making noise are the magical flames to accompany his short trek.

It was once Arin finally reached the door that anything of its surface could be made out. On it were similar runic signatures like the door behind the waterfall. However, there was definite change in the scripture, as some of it looked quite different than what he would have seen before coming down here. Down the middle trailed a single bump that curved around a single circle before meeting the floor. Within the circle was a cylindrical design that looked like it could be pulled out. Although, any normal attempts to dislodge it from the door would be met with a sturdy resistance. Above the apparent latch was a single symbol, one that that connoted a meaning of "Light Tribe."

If Arin could understand the strange language of the runes, he might have discovered a hint as to how to open the door.

[Arin]

Arin read the runes on the door, trying to decipher them as best as he could. The symbols indicating the light tribe had him thinking one possible option, so he did the obvious choice. He reached for the cylindrical latch and started to channel some light magic into his hand, before pulling and trying to dislodge it. "Here goes something..."

[Tetsuya]

As Arin pulls on the latch, a loud *K-thunck* can be heard from within the door, but other than that, nothing more happens. Then two circles on either side of the latch open up, giving Arin a second to dodge two long spikes as they jut out from within the door. This revealed that likely every door was likely booby trapped in the same manner should a wrong answer be given.

[Arin]

Arin noticed the two holes and immediately kicked back as he watched the spikes shoot out. He dodged just in time to avoid a lethal hit, but felt the impact of the spikes hit his armor plating and was knocked onto his back, coughing from the impact.

"Guh! Fuck that hurt..."

As the spikes sunk back into the door, he crawled back to his feet, and started to study the runes again. Just reading things on the door had everything pointing toward needing light magic to open the door...Unless...

"Wait...Maybe I'm going about this all wrong..." He started to pace left and right, just outside of the door, and tapping his chin in thought "...Twilight is a kingdom focusing on the balance between light and dark...If the door's runes are indication of the light half, then maybe..."

He walked back over to the door and grabbed the handle. Bracing himself for another strike from the door, he began to channel dark mana into his hand, and flood it into the lock mechanism. With a wary hold, he pulled on the latch and hoped for the best...and prepared for the worst.

[Tetsuya]

Another loud *K-Thunck* noise could be heard, then sound of chains rattling within followed as the latch pulled further out from the door. As the circle spun in place, the handle of the latch suddenly detached from the holding mechanism rather than being broken off due to time wear.

As Arin held it with his darkness still channeled, the supposed handle resonated from the mana, signaling it some sort of important item rather than a throw away piece of trash.

Once the circle stopped spinning, the door itself opened toward him, and revealed another darkened corridor. However, the atmosphere of this length of hallway was far different than what he had currently experienced. Black flames began to light along more sconces set up high along the walls, somehow illuminating the way forward to another door. The color of the walls had a definite contrast compared the brighter hall that he had currently walked through. It was as if the darkness ahead was calling out to him, demanding he step forward into the light of the flickering black flames.

[Arin]

Arin could feel the dark air of this second hallway calling to him, feeling uneasy as it was almost trying to corrupt him. But he knew this had to be in his head, and with a calm breath, stepped forth into the second hallway, leading to door number two. As he approached the door, his mind was starting to work on what next to press onward.

'Alright, so clearly this is the first trial, the trial of balance between opposites. The first hallway was the light hallway and needed darkness to unlock it...this seems like it's going to be the darkness hallway, so maybe the same rule applies here as well?'

[Tetsuya]

While he was deeply pondering such things, he would have to be deaf to not her the loud slam of stone meeting stone behind him. After having walked halfway through the corridor, a large stone wall embedded with spikes blocked off the way back, and steady inched its way towards him. It took up the width and height of the corridor itself, making the idea of slipping behind it an impossibility. There was no way out except forward through the next door.

On it were the runes once belonging to ancient Tribe of Darkness, and its symbol had been delicately carved into the stonework. However, considering the constraint of time at hand, this was likely to be overlooked. There was similar looking circle on this door, but instead there were triangular spikes along the edges, almost reminiscent of clockwork, and another cylindrical latch in the circle as well, though one quick note of difference was the wrapped leather around it. The runes themselves lead to the hint of night making way for the day.

[Arin]

Arin stopped and looked back as he heard a loud thud, the slamming of stone as a spike wall formed and started closing the back back. Cursing, Arin began to run toward the other end of the hallway, keeping a careful eye on any possible traps along the way.

Given the time constraints, he could only get a close look at the runes, and the small pile of skewered, decayed bodies waiting at the doorway. Without much else to go on but a gut feeling, he used his free hand to grab at the other latch, and began channeling light mana into the handle. He only had time to mutter a single thing before pulling with the same amount of effort as before, and much more rushed than before.

"Please work!"

[Tetsuya]

This time as Arin pulled, there was no give in the latch, and door remained unresponsive. The spike wall had now traveled halfway through the corridor, almost seemingly like it was speeding up despite it traveling at the same pace as before.

[Arin]

Arin struggled to try and pull the latch out, but to no avail. And while his attempts in opening the door met with zero success, the spikes were making more progress in coming close to skewering him alive, which he noticed some corpses were also laying on the trap itself. Starting to panic a little, he decided to do the opposite, and started pushing inward. At this point, he had nothing left to lose. He then began twisting his wrist with the latch inside, thinking of anything that could make the trap stop, or give him passage to avoid it.

[Tetsuya]

The latch pushed into the circle, the stone looking metal forming tightly around Arin's hand while he twisted his hand. Being pushed in, the triangular spikes were inserted into the door, finally locking into the internal mechanism of the door, and releasing the locks held on the chains that kept the door firmly shut and locked as Arin twisted his hand clockwise.

While the door continued unlocking, the spike wall continued to inch closer behind Arin, coming dangerously close to skewering the young man. Then suddenly, the door flew forward, throwing Arin forward into the next room with the lengthy cog still attached to his arm. The spikes on the wall met the stonework around the door frame, and immediately splintered and snapped apart upon the wall, while the spikes sticking the through the door became to look more like perversed door handles with the bodies of the dead hanging off of them. When Arin finally stood up after calming himself down from his near death experience, the short cylindrical cog fell apart, landing on the ground while leaving a small portion of his arm and entire hand - except the second knuckles to his fingertips - was snugly fit with a white metal, the leather bound handle of the latch attached to the palm.

[Arin]

Arin felt something fastening to his arm, before being flung past the -now- open door, letting out a surprised grunt as he narrowly avoided the spikes that have penetrated through the wall. Panting erratically, he was still recovering from the fact that he almost died on the first trial "Jesus! If that's just the start of this, what am I gonna come across next?!"


It took some time to adjust, but he finally got over his near-death experience. Grunting, he pushed himself to his feet, and dusted himself off, only to notice the metal gauntlet on his left hand that came from within the stone cog, and sighed softly, shaking his head "This thing better come off when this is all over, or I'm gonna have to have a blacksmith remove it..."

He finally took the time to look around, trying to survey what the next trial was. After a near death experience like that, things couldn't get much worse...could they?