Kyngdom Survival Guide
Labyrinth Tunnels End?
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Labyrinth Tunnels End?
Labyrinth Tunnels End?
If you're new here, start at the first labyrinth post. All the labyrinth posts live on the Power of Claw page.
Four of us stand at the four corners of the chamber. We count down, 1, 2, 3, and click our combination locks into place at the same time:
C-R-Y.
L-I-N-E.
J-U-P-I-T-E-R.
Z-E-N-I-T-H.
The door rumbles and then shifts a little bit inward, giving way. We've solved the last riddles! We've finally earned whatever is behind this heavy wooden door. I'm standing right in front of it, and I push, putting the whole weight of my body into it—and the door gives way...
...to an empty room with no exit? Everyone stands in the doorway, looking blankly around at the room. Have we just traveled three weeks, solving puzzle after puzzle, for this? I mean, it's a beautiful chamber, with a little bit of sunlight trickling down. It could use a little less drill noise—the drills just won't let up. But otherwise, I could imagine camping here quite happily, I guess?
The old badger seems to be the only one excited about this development. He trots past me, dumping the rest of his green stones into his mouth and swallowing. "THE FINAL ROOM! THE BARK! THE LETTERS ON THE BARK!"
He snatches it away from me, crosses off four more letters, and hands it back.
I look down at it. Seventeen letters are crossed off. Eleven letters remain. Uhh...
"Don't you see?" the old badger says, pointing at the bark.
"No," I say, "and while we're talking about confusing things, how come you can suddenly talk?"
"Those Vailiria stones, the little green ones, they're the only things that restore my power of speech. Each stone only gives me one minute of speech. I've been saving them for this last chamber, so I couldn't be much help to you earlier. I just swallowed the last of them, so we should be able to talk for another...fifteen minutes at best."
"How did you lose your power of speech?" Silverpaw chimes in.
"It was taken from me by a...powerful...creature long ago, when I was the Guardian of the Power of Claw."
We look around at each other. Of course! We had wondered about this, but it didn't seem possible for a retired Guardian to outlive his successor. But I suppose the most recent Guardian died so young, and this badger was very, very old...
"So...is this where the Power of Claw was originally kept?"
"Of course. This was the Claw Outpost, built around the same time as all the other outposts. Except I was much more ambitious than your average guardian. I wasn't satisfied with building a crummy little shack on top of a mountain or something. I wanted a truly secure Outpost."
"You built this?" I asked.
"Well, I had help. This was back when humans and animals had treaties and alliances. You might've read about those times in your Sprocketville textbooks, unless B.I.G. has started censoring them. It actually brought a tear to my dry old badger eye when I saw you with Little Crow for the first time—it's not often that you see animals and humans working together anymore." He sighs.
I'm touched but unsure how to respond. Like an idiot, I bite my lip.
"Anyway, I got human engineers, beavers, moles, and all sorts of diggers and builders to help me build these tunnels and their gates and doors and locks. The animals didn't need much convincing. The humans did. I told them we'd use the area as a bunker in case of war or natural disaster. No matter what treaties we had signed, a human couldn't know about the Powers. But of course that's gone out the proverbial window now."
"I can't believe you built all this..."
"Believe it! Well, I didn't engineer those locks, and I didn't carve those riddles. That's why I couldn't help you with them. They were done by a human—a prodigy named Martin Sheepshank. He was only twelve at the time, and he was already light years ahead of the other humans. He could actually speak to the animals, you know, long before anyone else could."
"Martin Sheepshank? Do you mean Dr. Sheepshank?"
"Ha! I'd be shocked if he hadn't earned a PhD by now."
"I studied under him at a place called Cypher Labs! And if you're saying he could talk to animals all those years ago, he must've invented the Cyph..."
"You're distracting yourself from the point, Charlene! You're distracting EVERYONE!"
"It's Charlie."
"I'm sorry, my throat is getting a bit *cough* rusty. Now look at the letters that remain—the nine letters that remain."
"No, silly, there are eleven letters left," Little Crow says, fluttering onto my shoulder.
"Little Crow?! You're back! Where did you..."
"NO TIME FOR THE BIRD!" the old badger interrupted. "The BARK. The nine letters—nine unique letters, two repeated. Seventeen have left. Nine remain. *cough* *cough* The LETTERS!"
I don't really appreciate this badger's tone, but I was taught to respect my elders, so I just nod and look back at the bark. Everyone else crowds around, puzzling. Little Crow feels heavier on my shoulder. He must be eating well. He also smells a little funny, and not like a damp cave...
"Can you give us a hint, old badger?" Silverpaw ventures.
"I don't have much spee let," the old badger says, looking frustrated. "Peech lef. *cough* Speek laft."
"I hear what you're saying, badger. Don't worry. We've figured out all the puzzles to this point...we can figure out whatever this means..."
I didn't put an overwhelming amount of confidence behind those words. But since I got everyone into this mess, well, since Little Crow and I got everyone into this mess, I figure it's our responsibility to get everyone out.
Now, what could these eleven, er, nine letters mean?
submitted by Charlie W., Labyrinth Lands
(June 18, 2016 - 3:29 pm)
(June 18, 2016 - 3:29 pm)
JAAWડ, 工'M N0W 0N 丫0UR ડ工DE, S0 工 CAN HELP 丫0U GET THE BRA乙EN G00。
--Your servant,
HA工Dεડ
My CAPTCHA said a word! Hate! No, CAPTCHA, I don't hate you.
(June 20, 2016 - 2:53 pm)
I nervously look around. Jaaws really was here. I was afraid what he was really trying to do. I am pretty sure he was the one who made the skeletons come alive, and he was the one who trapped my sister and made her lose her power to flight whenever she wants to without the wind's interference. I was pretty angry, but afraid. Jaaws could do the same with me if he wanted to. I felt a tiny breeze, ruffling my feathers. It calmed me. I could resist Jaaws. The wind can blow me back. I watched the line of people suddenly getting angry, then regular chatting again. I followed it and i flew toward the ceiling, pretending to be checking out any clues. Then it came over me. UnLeASh ThE poWeR INsIDe, GiVE iN tO ThE DarKNesS. ThEY aLL ArE SpiEs aND aSsASiNs... I focused hard on the thought of Windswift, hoping it would be like an anchor for me to remember who i am. I think my sight flickred, and I saw my "master". Turns out I was starting to lose. I screeched, and a few heads turned, but some ignored it because birds usually screech now and then to clear their throats. Then the urge passed. I lowered my feathers to make myself as small as I can, then I silently flew into a crevice. I was hiding. I was very terrified on what would happen if Claaws' plan succeeded on ruling Kyngdom like they did in "the old days". I was afraid what it would be like. Not to be independant anymore, but to be under the rule of a powerful being that can shake the earth at will, or be like how the Greeks thought the gods controled their lives after what they have done. I started thinking about the future of kyngdom. BIG is the main problem, experimenting on powers. I wonder what they plan to do with the powers. Take over the world? Typical, but i don't see why they would want to in the first place. They would probably have to manage tons of things. A big responsibility in other words. Or were they really trying to do good, make the powers rule the world again, but that wouldn't explain why they made the badger all rabies like. I better find out what their goals really are.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am going to mainly think about the future.
(June 20, 2016 - 3:06 pm)
MWA MWA HA!
sorry i was holding that back for awhile.
and FYI, i think these are the people-animals! I ment animals! Back in FAFA with me. Well there is Cealani, Eico, Icy, Eli, and i think MoonRacer is with me too. So if anyone of you guys or someone different still in base want to write about building cages, or looking for hypmotized members, please do, because...well...just making sure everyone is on the right page-er-electronic page. And Admins...this is okay with you, right? Just making sure...just in case...
oh and i just looked at my comment before and facepalmed. Like a big one. Like there was a explosion when my hand met my face.
zvne. Awa, Noon thinks im funny! Well, your funny yourself too...at times...
(June 20, 2016 - 10:17 pm)
Do it on the rp thread "labarynth rescue redue". Just tell us who you are and what you can help with first.
(June 21, 2016 - 12:30 pm)
Do it on the rp thread "labarynth rescue redue". Just tell us who you are and what you can help with first.
Waffle says " muce". Moose? You are a moose!!!!! Wow!!! I had no idea!!!!! This is AWSOME!!!! I'm probably the only owl with a moose captcha!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(June 21, 2016 - 12:39 pm)
Do it on the rp thread "labarynth rescue redue". Just tell us who you are and what you can help with first.
Waffle says " muce". Moose? You are a moose!!!!! Wow!!! I had no idea!!!!! This is AWSOME!!!! I'm probably the only owl with a moose captcha!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aaaaargh its happening again!!!!!!twenty codes and nothing has happened!!!!
(June 21, 2016 - 5:22 pm)
People-animals? Like anthropomorphic? (I think that's how it's spelled...) Anthros are animals that share a lot of human features, like standing on two legs and having aposable thumbs. Or maybe humans that strongly resemble animals? Like people, but with fur or scales or whatever, and nonhuman or semihuman faces, and often clawlike nails or pawlike hands and feet, almost always with animal ears and tail. I can't remember, but it's like halfway between human and animal.
Or do you mean like gregarious--living in groups, outgoing, extroverted, etc.? Or animals that don't hate humans?
(June 26, 2016 - 2:35 pm)
I'm standing there, gazing at the enigmatic scroll, the key to this frightening maze of passages. Suddenly, I feel something. Well not really feel, it's more like I could sense something brush past me. Something reeking of evil, of death, of horrors stronger , an anything in the world. Traitors and spies, all of them. The thought seeps into my mind, curling upwards in malicious tendrils. Look at them, squabbling like petty children. Pathetic. The vioce drips with venom, yet I can feel myself horribly agreeing with it. A wave loathing sweeps over me, twisting my emotions to cruel envy and hate. Who are these fools, to attempt to struggle against the doom that looms overhead, ready to crash down upon Kyngdom. And yet with all their lies, their deceit, their foolish trickery, none can compare with me. "GUYS!" I screech "DON'T YOU WANT TO HEAR MY IDEA?" Everyone in the cave turns, shocked, as our whole group suddenly burst out, yelling and screechign over the deafening noise. "YOU DIDN'T-" "I DIDN'T? IT WAS YOU WHO-" "EVERYBODY WILL YOU-" Suddenly, the darkness passes, leaving us standing there, gaping wide-eyed at each other. "What was that?' I think "I've never felt so... so..." I can't describe it. That feeling of drowning in a swamping wave of fear, hate, and overwhelming darkness. "Jaaws." I think with a shiver. "He's watching us." As I turn towards the others, still numb with shock, I can see the same thing happen to the whole cave. That same sudden surprise on their faces, quickly turning to sneering hate, then just as quickly dissapearing, leaving them dumb-struck. Passing in a continuous ripple throughout the cavern. "What can we do against an enemy that can turn ourselves against each other in an eyeblink?" I think despairingly. "How will this end?"
(June 21, 2016 - 9:44 am)
I watch them, pitying over the fact that they will all die soon. I look at Jaaws. They sensed her. No matter. They will be my casualities, and a war will start. One which I will win, in which Jaaws will swipe, tear, kill and destroy my way to leadership. All for a vial... any moment, now...
Three...
Two...
One...
"NOW!" I scream to Jaaws. She opens her mouth and a plume of deepest violet and black flames engulfs the cavern. I watch. And I smile as screams echo around the cavern, bouncing off the floor and ceiling.
(June 21, 2016 - 12:08 pm)
(Hey guys--Jaaws is a girl, just like Claaws!)
Jaaws~
What is with all the strong minds these days? Humans and animals have certainly developed a lot since I fell asleep. Their minds work a different way. I should find what makes them tick nowadays.
I need to find out who knows anything about the Brazen Goo. Just in case Catastrophe doesn't follow up with his promise. Plus, this way, I will have a way to get even more goo if he does indeed pay his debts. And anyway--does he think he can outsmart me? Our agendas only allign temporarily. He and I have very different plans for the future.
Therefore, in order to continue with my painfully easy plan, I end my fun of starting fights and swoop down to buisness. Let's start with the center of the room.
Charlie and the badger are trying to communicate still. This seems a good place to start, seeing how Charlie is the leader of the group. Brazen goo, Charlie. Think of the Brazen goo. Charlie's gaze clouds up for a second, and the only whisps of recognition that float out of his mind are a few Power legend textbook references. Hm.
I have a bit more luck with the badger, though not as much as I would've hoped. He's heard of it before, and not out of a textbook. But he still doesn't know enough to help me.
About half of these animals and humans haven't even heard of the Brazen Goo.
Well, this is turning out to be a dud group. I can't wait for BIG to get here--think of all the fear that will be floating through the air! I can almost taste it. And I'll get better luck with them anyway.
I turn my head and see the group of animals I succeeded in annoying. They think I'm here. Well, they'd be correct in that line of thinking. Perhaps they know something about the Brazen Goo.
They're not really in a group anymore, but two of them are walking around the cavern looking for clues on the wall with someone named Trill. I stick my invisible head between them. Brazen Goo...I whisper.
The mouse tenses. The chicken who she's always with stops. Trill (Um, Trill, how much do you know about the Brazen Goo? Sorry if I get this wrong) looks around.
I myself tense in excitement, for a few whisps are coming out of their minds. Whisps of recognition.
The human was once a spy for BIG, and she learned a little bit about the Brazen Goo. BIG was secretive about it and never told her where it was.
The chicken remembers something that the mouse told her a long time ago.
And the mouse has a weird flashback. Wait, can it be? Oh, no. I think it is. I giggle, my whole body shaking. No one can hear me, but they shiver anyway.
"Oh, oh, this is excellent."
(June 21, 2016 - 12:01 pm)
Ooops, sorry, I posted the above post before I saw what Catastrophe posted. Sorry 'bout that. Ummmm...So did I just burn everybody to a crisp???
(June 21, 2016 - 1:51 pm)
Not much, but it's ok. I can work with it. ;)
Trill-
Soon, a heavy air sets, and I just know we are all going to start yelling again. Then I hear a voice in my head. I stop, nervous, looking around. It feels like something....something is in my mind. Then, something yells.
nOw, JaAwS!!!
Suddenly, a purple flame shoots out from nowhere. I scream and duck down
To the ground. Pawsteps echo down the rock hallway that we entered in. Meela and Charla, my wolf friends, rush in.
"What's happening?!?" I cried. Meela seems to know. How?
"Jaaws and Catastrophe." She muttered to me. Catastrophe? Who is he? I wonder but don't ask.
(June 21, 2016 - 4:24 pm)
Thisleclaw~
Waves of hatred, fear, and immorality repeat through the cave. Yelling voices surround me. I'm not immune to the strange urge to hate either. Words echo through my brain. words like "They are not trustwothy", "They are not loyal to Kyngdom like you", "Dispose of these worthless fools", and "You are the only one worthy of living, so show me your wrath"...
Whatever, or whoever, is making us hate each other, is taking into consideration the fact that we've been underground, without direct sunlight, with little to no food and water, for about three weeks. It's like some sick version of cabin fever.
I'm doing the best I can to keep my predator nature at bay, but I know I'll soon snap. I need something to keep me calm.
I threw my leather bag onto the floor of the cave, and started rummaging through it. I pulled out my golden compass, my flask of spiced milk, and some bracelets, but I still couldn't find the thing I was looking for...
"What are you doing?" Trill asked me. I noticed others looking at me.
Finally I pulled out my Panflute, the thing I was looking for. I then started playing a melody that I learned. It was said to be a spell, that it would no doubt calm people down.
As I played my song, people's faces softened, they stopped yelling more... everything was just more tranquil...
"Traidor"
So... I'm reading over my writing, and realized that I was being a little OP, and I wrote way too much... again. I'm still getting used to writing, so I would like it if everyone could give me feedback!
AAAAAAnyway... THISLECLAW OUT!
(June 21, 2016 - 2:18 pm)
So, Just so people don't get confused, I wrote this stuff before the Baizen Goo thingy showed up... so... yeah...
(June 21, 2016 - 9:12 pm)
I hear wails from a cavern and Jaaw's grip on me subsides. I know it won't be gone for long. I quick run to Ecio. "That wall!" I say, glowing blue. He looks at me, bemused. "Cele-erm, girl, what about it?" He catches my look and in a second the wall is gone, defeated by Ecio.
And there's the final chamber! And-PURPLE FIRE!!!!!
Everyone is scrambling away and soon our tunnel fills with people. "Jaaws!" I scream.
And then his claws close around my brain once more.
(June 21, 2016 - 3:25 pm)