RP:Face/Swap

Summary: A haunted house appeared in the Xalious Mountains. Shenanigans ensue.

Haunted House

Solas feels the thrum and chitters a bit, his thin neck twisting his wide eyes head this way and that.

The house had mysteriously remained locked overnight, somehow becoming impenetrable overnight. For those who were magically attuned, they might be able to sense that the house had been locked via strong yet dark magics. But now the door had swung open in that classic horror movie fashion: slowly swinging open, creaking all the while as the fog began to creep out of the house and across the Xalious mountain ranges. When peering into the open doorway, the house seems to stretch inwards for a moment as if it could go on and on or as if it were something more sinister altogether. But crossing the threshold reveals it to be nothing more than a simple yet rotting house. The trap door seems to be sealed shut for now, though. The wood creaks ominously, the presence of the house itself is malevolent. Something evil lurks here.

Artia had brought her daughter along for the trip to Xalious, wanting her out of Vailkrin with how the zombies attacked last night. Sensing the evil from a house unmistakably feeling as if was calling to her. Soon the mother and daughter found themselves outside the house,

Solas lifts from the ground, his eyes alight with interest. 'Magic is magic!' he thinks, and begins a thoughtful search of the house. He heightens his senses,

Artia ava took off inside, Artia chasing after her only to find the house seemed to shift and change. Grabbing Ava hand and holding on tightly.

Bastion grimaces at the thought of what he found in the house before, and wonders if there's anything he can really accomplish here. Going in just seems like a bad idea... yet oddly enough, seasonally fashionable.

Bastion walks into the house, alongside the other folk who seem to also think this is somehow a good idea.

Solas lifts from the ground, his eyes alight with interest. 'Magic is magic!' he thinks, and begins a thoughtful search of the house. He heightens his senses, with a bit of magic of his own, and looks though glowing eyes trying to pinpoint the source. Unfortunately, there is so much magic, that he is momentarily defeated.

Gilwen had felt the draw and power of the magic rolling from the vicinity as she traveled back from Frostmaw. Still wrapped warmly in a heavy furred cloak, the elf wearily approached the strange house. Had it always been here? Had she just never paid attention? When the door swung open, Gilwen narrowed her eyes suspiciously, and decided to, for now, remain outside.

Blut sighed as he looked at the building. "Rotting forest check, magically appearing house from nowhere check, old people rambleing about it check, and litteral spirits of pure evil check." Blut breathed out heavely as he looked at the place not really phased by a haunted house after fighting dragons zombies giants alike ghosts were the last of his concern. "There better be that text the old man promised otherwise I'm haveing avian for dinner." Blut eternally monologed as he walked in his crimson eyes glowed in the darkness.

Brennia meanders in with the elder Vampire in tow as her protector. He stays closer to her than usual and they look at each other as if having a silent conversation. She notices Ava and Artia running not the damned house and she nearly sprints in after them to make sure none of that happened to her and lanara and bastion happened to them as well. A side glance to someone mentioning they are having again for dinner and she finally catches up to Artia. “Hey, what are you guys doing in here?” She asked in a hushed tone.

Enelys needed no priests or paladins. She would unlock this mysterious house herself! At least that is what she believed as she sat outside all night attempting an absurd amount of unlocking spells some of which she crafted on site. In the wee hours the door creeked open to Enelys quite hurrahs! Her heeled boots tapped lightly across the rotted floors as she dissaproved of the decorating. She tried not to tremble and put on an arrogant facade to cover up her growing fears of the creepy house and its endless horrors! She shrieked- something skittered in the corner!

Krice wasn't on ground level, thus he had no clear 'vantage point of the house's internal structure like everyone else. The magic pulse of the building had called to these people, as it had done him; he stood higher in the mountains, several metres above the eyeline of the expanding crowd, on a rocky ledge not made slick by snow. He observed from afar, his stoic stare aligned with the dilapidated roof of the building into which so many people seemed to be wandering. Rather than directly involving himself in exploration or warning them--where were their instincts to do that?--the silver-haired enigma simply waited, perhaps for the moment when his intervention would be needed.

Artia 's cyan blue eyes with gold freckles within turned to look upon Brennia. Ava turned and hugged closely to her other mom Brennia tightly, "Mom came this way, and then I ran in, now I regret it." The chi vampire smirked at Ava, speaking in a. hushed tone to Brennia. "She wanted to visit a haunted house for Halloween."

Solas flutters towards the door and peeks inside, seeing nothing immediately amiss, he slips inside. Once there he peers about with interest. "ooh! A SPider!' he says aloud, and promptly gobbles it down with relish. Once sated, he looks at all the people here, "I've never seen so many Big'uns before!" he thinks, "They really are odd looking, what with the two feet and no wings" he thinks further. He cannot resist however, and so conjures a bit of magic and holds it, waiting for just the right moment, and then releases it. A minor cantrip, however this was tweaked just a bit. A singular tone rings out, pure and clear, and anyone near enough to hear it is suddenly effected. More to the point, what they are wearing or carrying is effected. Any buckle, tie, knot or even braids are suddenly, unceremoniously, undone. Any clothing, bags, or hair-do are suddenly unclasped, untied, or unraveled. He slips into a dark corner to watch the fun!

Algar remains outside slumped aginst a withered tree trunk, carefully observing those who have entered whilst wearing a faint grin.

Bastion trips over a ladybug, and falls on his face. Because this house hates him.

As visitors begin to settle into the house, the trap door rattles ominously as if there were a great beast yearning to break out and attack! The trap door rattles again and again before finally creaking open slowly, thick fog billowing out and briefly disguising whatever it was that crept out of the basement. If the shadow on the wall is anything to go by, it’s a most loathsome and fearsome creature! In a voice that could only be compared to that of the iconic Mrs Doubtfire, the mysterious figure suddenly welcomes her visitors. “Hello, dearies!” Mabel is hunched slightly, her fingers gnarled and her knuckles swollen from old age, “Oh, don’t mind me, my dears, make yourselves at home. This place is quite the mess, I know, hee-hee, but what’s an old bat like me to do?” She ‘oohs’ again, as if this is the main noise of adorable elderly ladies. “I’m Mabel,” she introduces herself, offering the gathered group a smile and revealing her rather disgusting rotten teeth in the process, “and we’re going to have a grand time! You’re all in time for supper,” she announces, ancient and gnarled hands suddenly moving with such ferocity and speed they suggest her meek appearance is all a front! Her wicked fingers move at speed, her wrists flicking and palms extending to point at the door that had swung open. ‘Thruuuum’ goes the house as a bottle green bubble envelopes the house and traps the visitors in. Anyone could come in, but leaving…? That was out of the question for now.

Krice couldn't hear Solas' trickery, higher up as he was. Remaining outside the house and with the perfect view of the grounds on which it sat, the warrior caught sight of Algar where he lingered and he took a moment to scrutinize the stranger. Something about the house drew his gaze back a moment later, however, and he squinted as if doing so would open up the roof and reveal the scene to him.

Bastion found Mabel's voice to be very welcoming, and didn't hear one ounce of mischief in it all, nope. Unfortunately, he also couldn't see her appearance, as he couldn't afford to remove the blindfold. His vision in this house gave him something worse than a seizure. "Oh, well, that doesn't sound so bad, right guys?" Did someone just shut the door? Well, at least it wasn't too drafty, now. He was feeling a bit peckish anyway.

Blut looked around to find the source of the sound as the buckles on his leather armour and bag came undone quickly useing his mana threads to keep his attire up done. Blut sighed as he heard the door slam behind him called it he thought as he quickly did his trouser buckles. The man took a knee as he started to re do his buckles from foot down up to his chest and arms. "Alright then mame then may I ask for a cup of tea." Blut asked calmly as his mana started spilling out of his body wrapping around everything and everyone acting like a radar a early warning system for threats around the room..

Gilwen 's curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she hesitantly entered the house following the others... and just in time to be affected by the mischievous undoing spell. The clasp of her cloak released, dropping the heavy garment to the floor, along with her belted daggers, which were quickly snatched to her waist and refastened. Her long braid had also unraveled, causing her massive mane of red locks to spill lazily down past her waist. While gathering up her cloak and trying to tame her hair once more, the rattling of the trap door began, and instantly, Gilwen regretted joining the group. Despite the old woman's appearance, and grandmotherly offer of food and merriment, the elf clearly distrusted her, were the scowl on her face any indication.

Brennia holds Ava close and quirks a mischievous brow at Artia. The trap door springs up and thinks this is all apart of Artia’s trickery for Ava or something. Brennia charmingly smiles at Mabel, “merry meet. What is for supper?” She Asks in a cheerful tone with a wink to Artia.

Artia stood here, crossing arms under her well endowed chest. Smirking, not aware of the faerie dragon near, who planted a trick causing the tie to the string holding her dress shut to attempt in coming undone. Luckily she had quick hands and tied it back. Giving a look to Brennia as to say, 'girl, behave.'she laughs. When the witch shows up she turns quickly, with the trap door moving she thinks Brennia is behind this especially with the wink. "Bre.." She stuck her tongue out to the female avian.

Gilwen adds: And the moment the magic was released to seal in the visitors, Gilwens hands immediately fell to her hilted weapons, and retreated the few feet that lay between her and the green barrier. She tested its surface tension with a careful nudge of her elbow, and it was confirmed the way out had been sealed.

Bastion was perhaps the most unfortunate victim of the faerie dragon's trick. His whole robe was a bound garment. When it came loose, the whole garment simply sagged to the floor. Suddenly, it was very drafty in the room. Bastion paused. No. No way. His cheeks turned rose red. That did not just happen. Nope. He touched his chest with a hand. Yes it did just happen. Bastion fell to the floor, frantically trying to blindly redress himself, and not panic.

Algar rolls his eyes, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." he sighs. He stands up, dusting himself off and hesitantly enters the house, tightly grasping his spear.

Artia saw someone struggling nearby only to giggle at how his whole robe was gone. The person struggling to get dressed, this she moved away from the best friend and her daughter. Quickly aiding Bastion then rushing back to Brennia, not wanting Ava to spy a robeless male.

Bastion was thankful for Artia's help, and gave profuse and flustered apologies and thanks as she aided him in redressing himself. He was a monk, he was supposed to remain modest!

Mabel peered up at the charming Brennia and offered her a sweet smile in return, “Why, the little child, my dear!” she replies, pointing a rather crooked finger in the direction of Ava. The face of Mabel briefly contorts, revealing a rather gruesome and demonic looking being rather than that of a gumsy old woman. “Give me the child,” she croons, waggling her fingers as if to encourage Ava to come towards her. “You come here to my house on this most auspicious night! You bring a child and now I have the ingredient to make my ritual complete. But… well. You must be troubled by something, my dears, something to keep you out from underfoot,” she comments idly, tottering forward towards what looks like a very broken and rotted out cabinet. “You do not show your true faces, dearies!” she wags a finger in that grandmotherly telling off way, “I’ll fix it, not to worry, Magic Mabel is on the case! I’ll start the dinner, too, my loves,” she announces as a spark of magic departs from her cracked fingernail, swirling all about the room to suddenly flutter up to the face of all within the room. With a ‘swoosh’ and another thrum of magic, the faces of all within the house will find their faces on that of another person… The most horrifying of Halloweens masks!

Bastion had no idea what had happened, as he was blind... because of this, he also remained oblivious to his own predicament of being face swapped.

Artia grabs and wraps her arms around Ava, blocking Ava from Mabel. Artia eyes flash to a solid golden hue, offering a silent warning yo Mabel. A soft black fog swirling around like claws at her feet around Brennia and Ava. No one would ever touch her child. Next before she knew it, her face felt different. Blinking, looking back to Ava and Bre gasping. She couldn't help but to laugh very hard, Ava then laughed back at her mom. The two laughing extremely hard.

Brennia was still holding onto Ava and chuckled with Mabel. “This one?!” She holds Ava out to look her up and down, “I don’t think there’s enough meat on this girl’s bones, my dear Mabel.” She was laughing when all of the sudden she sees her own face on Artia’s as she tore Brenna's godchild away. The reaction got another quirked brow from Brennia realizing Artia wasn’t in on this. Oh no! And then she saw her face taking over Artia’s and pointed, “That’s my face!” They were all giggling now though and she felt her own shift into Artia’s.

Krice 's lips twitched briefly. Magic. Lots and lots of magic, different magic from different people casting spells and simmering in arcane power. The house was saturated in it. With Algar now entering to follow the rest, the warrior looked on and kept his optical focus on the house itself, his peripheral senses attuned to its surroundings. With a roof in the way, he was oblivious to the face-swapping that had taken place.

Gilwen felt the wash of magic and the subtle shifting of her features, and she immediately forgot about her inability to escape the house. Her hands slowly crept up to gingerly touch her features, feeling the final changes occurring under her touch. "What is this? What have you done?" She demanded while her gaze scanned the room to locate a mirror; in the process, she watched with horror as the faces around her swapped with their neighbor. Her normally pale features had shifted to portray the face of a complete stranger: Bastion.

Bastion felt something on his face. Unfortunately, the worst of what he felt was an itching of the nose, and a sneeze racked him that loosened his blindfold. Before he could think, he was already peering about, but he saw like a normal person, instead of through his mystical eyes! It was great! Suddenly, the whole world was just so different! The first thing he saw, however, was his own face, on a rather more feminine body. Not that his face didn't look great on such a body, mind you, but it was still something to boggle the mind! "Oh, hello there, female me." Poor Gilwen. "I don't think I'd ever wear something like that, though. Not that I'm judging, mind you! It looks very good on me. On you. On.... us?" He was oblivious to the state of his own face, it seemed.

Blut looked around deeply confused by the swapping of faces. The man walked over to the mirror on the sides of the wall as he noticed his face was... completly the same. The man turned back to the woman "guess you can't steal a face from a man who never had one." Blut joked with a light chuckle.

Draiman steps forward into the haunted house. Eyes scanning the room with curiosity "So this is how the mortals celebrate the eve of the dead."

Mabel turns to look at Ava, Artia and Brennia. She needs to get that child. “Whoever brings me the child, I will free from the house!” she says it so cheerfully that it sounds like an absolute delight and in no way sinful at all. “Bring me the child, my dears,” she begs of the visitors sweetly. “Come along now,” she urges again. The witch is determined to get that damn child. Upon the face of each individual, it almost looks as if there’s a faint letter or two etched upon their foreheads. Hmmm. Interesting.

Algar looks around the house having only just entered and notices the mismatching faces, gazing at his own reflection in his shield he too has been face-swapped, seemingly with Solas. 'What on earth is going on here?' he thinks, his fists clenched.

Bastion looked at Ava, and then at Mabel. Back to Ava. Back to Mabel. Well, she did sound like a very trustworthy old lady, and she just wanted someone else's kid for a festive reason, surely. Not. "No one's snatching a woman's child for you, ma'am. That's not a nice thing to ask." Wag your finger at her, while you're at it, kid. Too bad he looked like Gilwen, on a boy's body, and was even more laughably odd than usual. Artia 's eyes flooded full of gold in place of the cyan blue, snarling at the witch. The laughter was over, grabbing her sixteen year old daughter and pushing her back towards a corner so she could protect her from anyone wanting to take her child. Softly she mumbles out, as the wood planks under Mabel would shake. A possible duel of magic about to happen.

Solas flits to and fro, his small form hovering before the people gathered, sniffing at their faces. "Odd!" he says aloud, "Is this some Bug'un ritual? " he asks to no one in particular. He looks at Gilwen, "Are you a man dressed as a girl, or a girl with a man's face?"

Gilwen had managed to find a reflective surface to scrutinize her features, from the new shape of her jaw, to the tilt of her eyes; her vision remaind to her. The markings on her forehead were inspected with a gentle touch and then a furious rub, but she stopped the moment the demand for the teenage girl was made. Beside the face swap, none of the occupants were in danger, so there was no need for hysterics. Gil had opened her new mouth to refuse the offer, but the person who sported her face had beaten her to it.

Bastion see's Solas talking to Gilwen. "Hey, be nice to other me! Though, I'm kind of curious which he... she... I... uh, yeah. What are you?" He looked at Gilwen with a very confused expression.

Gilwen said to Solas, ".... The latter."

Gilwen said to you, "Definitely female."

Blut leaned against the wall as he looked around noticeing the letters on Bastions face. "This is what you want right." Blut asked walking forward raising his hand towards artia with another behind his back. If she looked down she would notice her child was invisible but still firmly in her hands. Blut moved his hand from behind him revealing that he was holding a illusion of the girl with a malicious grin. The trick was instantatnious makeing it appear like he made the girl warp. A holy dagger hidden under his sleeve capable of tearing through even the mightest of unholy beings. The man planed to get close enough to slash her neck open before throwing the illusion to make a opening.

Bastion turned to Solas "She's definitely a she. Though, she's me. Wait..."

Solas said to Gilwen, "Oh Good, because those boobies look real, and that's going to far for dress up!"

Mabel is unafraid as Artia attempts to make the planks of her house shake. They rumble, yes, but they settle once again. “My dearie,” she begins in that soft, Mrs Doubtfire voice, “this is my house. And I am a being of such power that you could not possibly comprehend, you cheeky wee monkey,” she smiles like a sweet grandmother. “So don’t you go messing around with my house, dearie, or I’ll have to mess with you! Oh-ho! Listen to me, how terrible,” she tittered before finally settling her gaze upon Ava and extending her gnarled hand out towards her. “If you will not give her to me, that’s quite alright,” she murmured, dark magic rumbling from the very depths of the house as at long last the planks of the house physically and properly moved: seeking to jolt any one close enough to Brennia, Artia and Ava so they bump into the group and knock the child from their grasp. “Give me the child!” she snarls, her voice truly demonic at this point. The house itself groans/growls, planks wobbling in a bid to move them all closer to Mabel. Those odd letters upon their foreheads would pulsate and glow slightly.

Bastion looked at what Solas was looking at. "I do look good like that, don't I?"

Artia Brennia moved to stand with Artia, wings wrapping around Ava just to help aid Blut at the time. Artia stands ready, pretending that blur really did take ava when he didn't. She shouts out, "Stop you can't take her."

Mabel's neck shimmers from the swish of Blut's dagger but she is seemingly unaffected. She is impervious to harm!

Bastion saw and heard Mabel. There was a time for silliness, and a time to act. This wasn't the time for silliness anymore. He heard truth in the old woman's words, about her power, and didn't doubt it in the least. He was likely no match for her, but such staggering odds never stopped him from doing what he felt was right, and right now, there was a child in danger. Someone was already acting, and though he didn't have his usual eyes, he knew an illusion when he saw it. Artia was still grasping her child, though she was invisible. She'd have been panicking otherwise. At least, Bastion assumed Blut didn't have the real child, without his eyes, he wasn't absolutely sure... but he had to act, as well. The letters on his head were glowing, and pulsing, though he didn't know what the sensation entailed, until witnessing the letters on other's heads. He tried to read them, for all of an instant, before conjuring a bow of Ki, and knocking an arrow. It was a pink bow, pink arrow, and he aimed with Blut's movements in mind, shooting it at Mabel. It wasn't capable of killing, or even harming anything other than an unholy being. It would only paralyze flesh and blood, at worst, slow them otherwise, and cause some pain.

Artia adds: The glare d idnt move from Mabel, Artia chuckles, "Oh you might be shocked. Mabel. You dear have no clue what forces I bring with me. You mess with my daughter, you mess with me. So I guess we are messing with each other." The movement given indeed made her bump into Brennia and Brennia into Artia. But they managed to keep Ava hidden.

Blut chuckled as he walked closer to the granny the illusion started walling it had no physical substance it was meirly a image of air but the rest was authentic there was no way to tell it was a fake without touching it. "You want this kid right then you will let me out. I've had enough fun for today so here take her." Blut told her as he walked closer and closer when a meter close he would throw the illusion into the air makeing it wail even louder in the hope she would look up and expose her neck. Blut would then dash in and with a flick of the wrist reveal his holy blade even if it doesn't cut clean it should deal heavy damage to a unholy creature.

Bastion watches Mabel be unharmed. Uh oh. He dashes, and interposes himself to Artia's back, watching the house its self, forming a protective circle around the girl. If all he could be was a meatshield, so be it! No one was touching this innocent child.

Solas seems to lose interest in the people, and decides to explore the room a bit more closely. "Silly so and so's!" he thinks, "Maybe some music will lighten the mood!" He pushes some odds and ends off of a piano he finds. Not knowing how to play, he started tentatively, his tail reaching out to tap a key. As the note is struck, the room brightens, and Mabel's eyes squint in aggravation. The light is coming from the faces of those with the letters upon them! So bright is the glow that the entire room is lit! Mabel looks at the small dragon with a grin! "It will take more than a bit of light to ruin my day! " she says, and as the note recedes into the silence of the house, the lights fade until both light and sound are gone.

Given that Blut had already tried to slash her throat open, Mabel pays him no heed. He is but a fly now, buzzing about her face. She is impervious to harm and appears to be something other than a regular witch. Something made of pure evil itself. “Bring me the child,” she says again, her voice now truly demonic; multi-layered and sounding like something from The Exorcist. The house itself would rumble and continue to pressure to group into giving the child. Those letters upon their foreheads would glow only brighter!

Bastion began to focus more on the letter's on people's heads, trying to read them if he could. He felt they were important.

Blut 's eyes widdened as he saw the blade do absolotly nothing his movement got in the way of Bastions arrows taking one to his arm and shoulder makeing him drop his dagger his arm going limp from the paralysis. The man attempted to jump back to make some difference in distance between the two. He reached into his pocket takeing out a grim ward to protect him from dark spells as he was completly isolated from the group.

Bastion yells, "Everyone! Your foreheads! Read the letters! I think, uh... it's important!" Just throwing it out there.

Gilwen drew her cloak tighter around her the moment the pixie commented on womanly figure, and immediately turned her attention from him and to the pair of women who huddled in a corner to protect th

Solas touches another key, a low note hangs in the air, and if one were paying attention they might see that some of the letters glow brighter than others. He presses another key, a higher one this time, and different letters glow. Frustrated, he starts to randomly bank upon the keys, going so far as to run upon and down the length of the piano making an obscene amount of noise that in no way, shape or form could be considered music. "Stop that, you little fool! " says Mabel, and with a wave of her hand the Faerie dragon is sent flying across the room. He hits the wall with a thud! "Everyone's a critic!" he squeaks as he lays dazed.

Krice was blissfully unaware of the craziness that unfolded within the home, standing -outside- of it and several metres up as he was. With Frostmaw's chill bearing down on his back, and the heat of magic wafting upward from the haunted building, the man held his ground and kept all senses keenly attuned to his surroundings.

Gilwen was not a witch, nor did she hold any amount of holy magic- and watching the attacks against Mabel deal absolutely no damage, the elf decided the only option she had in this moment was to help protect the child as long as possible. During this time, Gilwen's writer is going to drive home.

Bastion watches the faerie dragon fly across the room, and looks at the piano. It made music. Music made light. Mabel didn't like the light. The formula came together in his mind. He pulled his ocarina from his side, and put it his lips, and began to play... loudly.

Bastion played a sweet, lilting melody, that reminded one of forests in spring, of life blooming forth, protrusions of color and clear, sweet scents. Because music conveys all of that effortlessly, and stuff.

Blut slumpped against the wall breathing heavely as he watched everyones notes increase and decrease in intensity as the dragon played before getting thrown against the wall. The man thought of something dashing forward towards the piano dispite being one handded he didn't think he had to play a melody just have all the letters alight. The man started pushing keys together in various combinations trying to get all the letters to light up.

Solas lays in a daze, still, yet Mabel feels the need to address him. "Oh look what you've done now!" as Basion's song begins to once again play across the faces of those gathered. She turns to Basion, a cruel grin spreading across her face until it resembles an open wound. "Alas, the child shall be mine, and your little light show shall avail you naught!" She raises her arms, her gross and liver spotted arms trace complicated patterns in the air. Maggots begin leaking from the walls, appearing from beneath the floor, and even dropping from the ceiling.

Artia noticed the way music caused Mabel to almost weaken, she blinks. Ava clinching tightly to her mother, being smart not to say anything. Brennia being a bard, she began using her voice to make the same beat as bastion produced in aiding him. Artia kept her hands at the side just in case she had to cast anything. oocly trick or treating sorry.

Bastion see's maggots. Ewww, maggots. Except he was used to peasant labor, and saw much, much worse on a daily basis. He kept playing, and turned his lettered forehead at Mabel, like a laser beam! Pewpew! It was as close to sticking his tongue out at her as he could get, while playing the ocarina.

Blut had turned off his leaking mana giveing him more space to cast sorceries. He was still a novice but a simple wind spell should be enough createing a dome of rotateing wind to keep the magots off. It wasn't strong enough to repel a human but magots sure. Blut stopped playing to listen to the beat the others were produceing as Blut tried to keep up with one arm but proveing impossible to do so before grunting with pain as his second arm started moveing now being controlled by mana threads like a puppet.

Krice 's nose twitched slightly. Whether he sensed the impending victory of the gathering who had entered the home, or for other reasons, he was pulled away toward other parts of the world, ascending higher into the mountains. SLeeep, glooorious sleeeep. Comfyyy pillow and blankeettts.

Mabel seems unconcerned with the music, however every now and then a few notes cause her to turn her head sharply, as if they had inadvertently done something that did concern her. She says to all, "Time runs quickly or slow, but always forward! By morning I shall have not just the child! I shall have you all, and then the fun really begins!" Her laughter cuts through the song, and the maggots melt into blood. The blood seems to gather and the roll across the floor, intent upon coating it all.

Bastion had a revelation, then. He stopped playing, and screamed it aloud, "The notes on our foreheads are her weakness! PLAY THOSE NOTES!" He scanned the room, reading foreheads, and playing those notes, loud, and shrill, with no concern for musical quality.

Bastion also had blood on his boots, and hated that.

Solas the moment Enalys enters, her face becomes that of a dragon. Specifically, it becomes the face of Solas. Solas moans, and if one were looking they'd see Enelys's face become Gilwens.

Gilwen had no claim to musical talent either- she was completely useless in the scenario. Why she thought it would be a good idea to go trampling through a dilapidated old house was beyond her. The only help she offered was brushing the maggots off Ava's shoulders and her own hair; Gilwen was a few inches shorter than the teen, so any of the creepy crawlies that got lost in her hair were her own issue. The beam of light that shone from her forehead though was continuously directed at Mabel though- not because Gilwen understood the significance of the light, but simply because the elf wanted to keep constant watch over the old crone.

Just to recap, all are trapped within the house with the witch, who wants to keep everyone here till morning when they can never leave. Everyone's faces are swapped it seems, and upon the brow of each person are letters that are not all musical notes. Music makes the letters glow., but the relationship between the music and the words is so far unknown.

Gilwen realized a bit belatedly that the maggots she had been swiping from her person and Ava's were a bit wetter than usual; she must have squished quiet a few in her mad dash to remove them. It wasn't until a heavy droplet of blood lands on her eyelashes that she understood the magics a play, and merely stood there, utterly defeated. She was simply an extra body at this point, neither a help nor hindrance.

Bastion tries hard to read the letters again!

Artia allowed for the others to continue there song, meanwhile knowing Ava was safe Brennia she decided to help distract Mabel or restrain her. Making sure Bastion saw her note on her forehead before she took the chance. With a crack of her neck, the tattoos along the chi vampire forearms lifted up and curled as the color drained to a dead brown. With a smirk she moved to mabel side. "Hey Witch." The necrobotanist sent the vines out aiming to wrap the dark magic vines about Mabel aiming to restrain her. Slowly she worked best to drain her of the energy she uses to remain in this world.

Blut clicks his fingers as the letters appears infront of them in order enlarged so that the group could see them. "Play the notes whatever happens can't be worse than this." Blut yells as he frantically plays to the order of the notes makeing a melody of sorts the barrier of wind keeping most of the magots off him. He honsetly didnt' care of the blood as some heavier droplets made their way through the barrier splattering on his being. He was a assassin if blood bothered him he would really need to change carriers.

Upon the brow of each are a few letters, written in the common tongue. Upon the face of Gilwen are three letters, or perhaps numbers, 000. Upon the brow of artia is 2bang. Mabel looks at Basion, "Ahh you can read? A lot of luck it will do ya!" and with a wave of her arm the words become incomprehensible to him. Just him. "Maybe I'll let you read again in a thousand years!" Her cackles again cut the air, for bastion can no longer read. You blinked at Mabel, then at the letters, where they appeared. Uh oh. "Oh... oh. That's new." He could no longer read. "Someone, read those letters! Say them, play them, if they can make words, whatever it takes, do it! I, uh. I can't read anymore. It's definitely a curse, or something." The last part was mumbled, with no small level of embarrassment. Great, his clothes were drenched in blood now. That was just unsanitary, and more than mildly disturbing.

Solas :::as Maedict appears, he finds himself trapped with the others. Mabel cackles with glee as his face is transposed with anothers, and the letters 2ah appear upon his brow.

Bastion screamed, "She must be some sort of... WITCH DOCTOR!"

Gilwen might not hold a musical note in her body, but she was certain that the formations on their foreheads were not notes. She quickly glanced about the room, inspecting each clumping of common tongue symbols; 000, 2bang, 2ha. She had seen the letters that had formed on the face of Bastion's when she had inspected it in the mirror. What were they again though? She turned back to her reflections for another scrutiny.

Mabel is wrapped within Artia's vines, but if it's uncomfortable for her it does not show. "Ooh, sapping my energies if your goal? See what comes of it, when I taste your soul!" Having decided to rhyme, the old hag tucks in her chin and begins to chew the vines, and as she does so they shrivel and dry, in moments she will be free.

Blut threw his unholy dagger but before it could make contact with the witch a holy bold pierced the dagger bouncing off the witch and shattering the dagger. But from the remains would rise a angry thrall inraged for being imprissioned within the dagger willing to lash out at whatever is infront of him. Blut snaped his figures as the notes of each individual would appear infont of Gilwen "Conduct us" Blut yelled.

Solas stands upon wobbly legs, only to see vines fall free of Mabel. "To hell with you all, that's where I'll take you!" she shriek!

Bastion tries very hard to read people's foreheads. "Blue? Does it say blue? No, I don't think it does. Darnit!"

Gilwen swiped her bloodied hand through the air as if that would dispel the words floating there. "They're not musical notes! They're words."

Mabel whispered to Bastion, "Kill someone, and I'll let you leave!"

Mabel whispered something to Blut.

Blut yelled "well start reading" as he stood up from the piano as he increased the speed of the barrier as is started picking up blood as it traveled forward covering Bluts back and arms in blood as he ran forward even if he couldn't hurt her he could still annoy the hell on her. Between the thrall bloodnado and random weak spells Blut was fireing at the woman it would be hard to keep track of whats going on.

Mabel whispered something to Brennia.

Bastion looks at Mabel, aghast. "I'm sworn to Peace, vowed before Gods and Man! I will die before I will kill another living creature!" Or be damned to an eternity in this hellhole, if need be. He took his vows very seriously.

Mabel whispered something to Maledict.

Bastion sagged to the ground, covered in blood, and feeling it pooling and rising around him. If only he could read, he was sure he could figure this puzzle out! "Tell me the words! Tell me what they say!"

Whispers carry to the ears of some as the spells rake her form, "You'll be fun to watch die... over and over again!"

Mabel whispered something to Algar.

Mabel whispered something to Gilwen.

Bastion peers about frantically. "Anybody! Tell me the words on everyone's forehead! Please!"

Blut stopped casting spells the bloodnado dropped and a sudden holy bolt flew through the thrall disapateing it. Blut walked over to the demon woman as he pointed the crossbow at Bastion with a grin on his face. "I live to serve." Blut commented before fireing a illusionary shot it should look like it shot right through his heart with a little wind spell for some pushback. Blut slowly turned to the lady "can I go now " Blut asked in a maniacal voice.

Maledict 's mind has completely stalled after entering the cursed estate. There's a gathering of people, a witch and face switching music magic. Being too confused on the wave of things that just happend. Then a thought strikes him, but is he powerful enough to do it? Maledict observes the situation from the back if the crowd.

Bastion was thrown back as a bolt was fired right into his chest! He didn't feel pain, but he found himself in the blood, thrown to the by some force applied with the bolt.

Gilwen began searching the foreheads of those in the room, memorizing them in case she too were struck blind. "Three circles, the number two-bang, the number two-ha..."

Bastion remembered something, that some of those correlated to. He shot up from the blood, and bellowed, "And then, the witch doctor, she told me what to do!" He took a deep breath...

Bastion said, "Ooo eeh ooo ah ah, ting tang walla walla bing bang!"

Mabel cackles at Blut's words, "Do you expect me to believe that? I can feel the death of another, I'd have tasted his soul escape!" She waves her arms and the blood recedes, and from the walls comes a squeak, and then another, and then hundreds. "Perhaps I shall have you devoured slowly!" Near the floor, every wall begins to vibrate, and the squeaks get louder and more numerous. The gnawing begins to grow louder as well, something is eating through the walls.

Maledict after the recent turn of events now knows others received a message of the same nature as his.

Blut sat down on the ground next to her raiseing his arm "then partake in my flesh I give up" Blut claims as he throws his crossbow to the side if the woman partakes in his flash Blut would swiftly cut it off with a mana blade and she would contract his curse. Without killing someone within a 30 min timeframe she will slowly start to dematerialise till she turns to nothing but dust.

Artia felt the vines break retracting back into the vine tattoos unharmed, reading the words and or numbers Artia shouted, "ooo ooo ooo ahah ting tang Walla walla, bang bang."

Maledict said, "well then maledict says "ooo ooo ahah ting tang Walla walla, bang bang""

Algar also shouts, "ooh eeh ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang!"

Gilwen simply stared around the room, unable to process the events taking place therein. Did someone get shot with a crossbow? What is this song people are singing? Was this even real blood? This was certainly going to be a Halloween she never forgot, that's for sure.

The walls start to splinter and shake, the noise becomes almost unbearable. The squeaks start to sync, thousands of creatures all making the same high pitched squeak in unison! They erupt from behind the walls, thousands upon thousands, all with burning, unnaturally glowing eyes . They enter and circle those trapped, until all are surrounded in an ever increasing number of rats. They are ravenous! They crawl over each other, lashing out in anger and hunger, and the circle slowly closes forcing everyone towards the center where Mabel stands laughing. . In a brief moment, the maelstrom of rats threaten to overwhelm them all! Then the words are spoken, " Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang Walla walla, bang bang " All goes silent. Nothing moves. The deathly silence hangs pregnant in the air, a malignant... nothing! Then Mabel Speaks, or rather Shrieks! "Noooo! How?" The rats surge forward, leaping upon her, and oh does she scream. Blood splatters as her flesh is rent, the squelching sounds of flesh being peeled from bone is something few hear, and fewer still can forget it. "YOu'VE NOT SEEN THE LAST OF ME!" is the last of her screams, and the rats are done with their meal. They turn and scamper away from whence they came, leaving behind a blood stained floor and little else.

Bastion flails. Rats, everywhere! Circling, closing in, gnawing like some great, ravenous, singular monstrosity... until the words are spoken aloud. Then, everything changes in an instant. At the end of it all, Bastion is left sitting on his rump, blood soaked and confused, and hoping he can at least... read the mood.

Artia smirks, "I told you. mess with my daughter, you mess with me. Go back to where you came." With that she wrapped her arm Ava tightly.

Bastion said, "I can't believe a child's song about a man desperate enough to go to a witch doctor for love advice saved us all."

Artia looks up silently thanking everyone for the help.

Maledict said, "Do any of you have any idea what just happened?"

Gilwen was lost to the confusion of the scene before her. Only after the witch is gone, the rats returned to where they had come from, the blood drenched Gilwen merely blinks. "... I've never heard that song before."

Bastion said, "Can someone bring me something to read? Anything? I need to know if I can!"

Blut rolled away from the woman as he got away from the rats looking very confused. "Ok that was a witch that was immune to holy weapons demonic powers, Actual demons and physical attacks but she dies to rats? Because of a song." Blut asked this being far more cofused by this moment then anything else in his own century of life. "I'm not even going to" Blut breathed out walking towards the door to open the door this was something to remember halloween by I guess.

Maledict hands Bastion a bottle of Black-Fire wine.

Artia and Ava quickly exit, thanking everyone quickly wanting to get her child home safely.

Gilwen merely turned to leave the house, covered in gore as she was. She had completely forgotten that she had face-swapped with another occupant, but that wouldn't matter; she'd leave the estate with her own features returned.