The Black Letter
Chatterbox: Pudding's Place
The Black Letter
The Black Letter
You don’t know where the letter came from. You woke up one morning with a panicked feeling, like you’d just had a nightmare. When you reached to turn on the light, you found a black envelope clutched in your fist.
The envelope was sealed with a wax stamp depicting a dripping candle. You might take a moment to admire it, perhaps you tore around it carefully, or maybe you ripped it down the middle. In the end, the result was only the opening of the envelope. Like so many things, the way that you open an envelope will never matter. The letter inside, however, did matter. At, least to you, and perhaps to me. But does that mean anything either?
You spread the now-wrinkled letter out and flatten the creases. The letter is slightly discolored, embellished with ink drawings of candles of all shapes and sizes. It reads:
Dear Distinguished Acquaintance,
You have been unavoidably invited to a twelve-night ball in the Candelabra Manor. In the height of antique luxury, you will enjoy fully stocked vintage wardrobes, six course nightly banquets, an array of games that will display the full extent of our three hundred and twenty-acre grounds, double bed gothic suites, and a fully stocked armory. You will find a trunk at your door in the morning. You may bring this, and only this, as full as you please with it still closing. Bear in mind that clothing will be provided. It would be reasonable for you to enjoy your stay, but I will not go so far as to say that we “hope” that you will.
Apathetically Yours,
Madame Flambeau
The trunk appears as promised, with a skeleton key lying next to it. Your first thought is to attempt to move the trunk inside, of course, but it stays put in the doorway and refuses to budge. After a moment of deliberation, you decide to pack it where it is. After all, who can pass up a luxury stay in an old, possibly murderous mansion? Finally, when it is as full as you’d like it to be, you start to close it. But then you remember one last little memento that you would like to bring with you. Upon finding the trinket, you find something else much less desirable. A form with the words “Candelabra Manor” and the candle seal emblazoned along the top. But all of the information has been filled out with, as a quick scan reveals, complete and chilling accuracy in midnight blue ink.
You stuff the letter in your pocket decisively and start unpacking the trunk. You’re not going. Oh no, no, no, no you’re not.
But it’s too late.
Form:
Name:
Gender:
CBer or Æ:
Appearance:
Percieved Age:
Skills:
Worst fear(s):
Personality:
On a scale of one to ten, how much of a leader are you?:
On a scale of one to ten, will you crack under pressure?:
How did you open the letter?:
Trunk Packing List:
This is, what I believe to be, the first illustrated Ski Lodge. I hope you enjoy it. You may bring up to two members of your party, CBer or Æ.
(September 14, 2018 - 3:26 pm)
GaSp I lOvE tHe IlLuStRaTiOnS
(September 24, 2018 - 6:06 pm)
Are you perhaps Clouded Leopard?
(September 24, 2018 - 7:03 pm)
Eep! I've been meaning to do Puck's character sheet for a while now... I hope it's not too late to do that still, even though part 1 was already posted! Sorry!
Also, I totally forgot my packing list! Whoops! So, for me, I'm packing my sword (of course,) my daggers, a blanket, (don't judge me, it can get pretty cold sometimes!) extra medicinal herbs, and some of Puck's pranks (just in case Puck isn't around.) I'm also carrying my leatherbound journal.
Also, because I react before thinking, it means that I also can react quickly (especially in a crisis.)
Anyways... if it's not to late, here is Puck's sheet:
Name: Puck (The amazing mischevious prankster)
Gender: Female
Cber or AE: AE
Appearance: Puck loves to wear purple. And when I say loves, I mean LOVES. She wears a purple short sleeve shirt that is a little darker than lavendar, (but changes shades of purple according to the viewer) with torn/ripped sleeves, and sometimes she wears a light brown leather jacket over it. She has a lavendar satchel slung across her chest, which is something she invented herself. It is a bottomless bag, that can hold every single prank imaginable, and if she thinks of it, she can just reach into her bag and grab it. She wears jeans, and wears grey boots that go to the ankle. She has large black raven wings on the back of her body, long curly brown hair, and dark piercing green eyes with gold specks. She also has elf ears. Sometimes she wears a purple or black headband with a carnation on top of it, or has her hair back, but most of the time, her hair is always down. Purple ring on her right hand. (which changes color according to her mood, just so I know how to act when she's a certain mood.)
Percieved age: 15 1/2-16; however she acts younger than she actually is, because she is always so energetic. Her moods bounce up and down from times, so sometimes she acts like a 11-12 yr. old, or sometimes like a 5 or 6 yr. old.
Skills: She can fly, due to the huge black raven wings on her back, she can also be a master of surprise, and if there is any trap doors or secret passages anywhere, you can bet she'll be the first to find them and memorize where they are and where they go to. She also can turn into a raven and back into a girl, again due to the huge wings on her back. She also is a master at pranking, as she carries a prank bag around with her all the time which is filled with all kinds of pranks imaginable, including pranks that she has concoted herself. Oh yeah, she's really good with chemistry as well.
Worst fear(s): Um... losing her powers and skills I guess? And maybe even losing her brother(s) Ariel and Galahad, (another one of my AEs and my CAPTCHA.) She blames herself a little for her brother Diovald disappearing, even though it isn't her fault at all-and since she's the oldest of my AEs, she feels like she has to be responsible for them. (Even though Ariel, her brother is usually the one who's responsible for her.) And the color pink, for some odd reason, which she detests with a strong passion. It's not her worst fear, but it is one of her fears.
Personality: Very very spunky and energetic. Her emotions are always way more spiked than they should be, so when she is extremely excited, she turns cartwheels and bounces up and down, kind of like when a fangirl gets excited about one of their fandoms. It's kind of like living on a rollercoaster, because her emotions are... well... most of the time they can be a little unpredictable. But, in a crisis, she always thinks straight and keep calm, especially when her CBer (Joan B. of Arc) is not thinking straight, or logically before acting. She has a fiery temper, (especially when someone says something she doesn't like-) and can get super scary when she's angry. Her eyes turn a light red pink when she's mad. Oh yeah, and she's a really big drama queen.
On a scale of oneto 10, how much of a leader are you?: I would say that Puck is a 7-9.
On a scale of one to 10, wlll you crack under pressure?: 3-5. Mostly 4 1/2.
How did you open the letter?: First, Puck experimented on it, just to make sure it was safe and that nothing was going to happen to her if she opened it, and then after she knew it was safe, than she opened it like any normal being would with her hands.
Trunk packing list: Her prank bag, and her journal, (which if anyone touches or opens BESIDES Puck, they will be haunted with pranks for the rest of their lives. Trust me, you do not want that.)
Ok, that should be it! Sorry for the long post!
(September 25, 2018 - 7:26 pm)
Sorry that it's taking so long, the pictures take a while. Thank you for your patience!
(September 27, 2018 - 6:30 pm)
Madame Flambeau, I'm almost certain that you are Marigold. You posted within one minute of her.
(September 28, 2018 - 12:58 am)
Whoops, I'd been trying not to do that. Good detective skills, though.
(September 29, 2018 - 3:11 pm)
HA HA YESSS!!
Thanks, Mari - I mean - Madame Flambeau, I have an uncanny knack for those kinds of things. :) I'll keep calling you Madame Flambeau if you would like. :)
(September 29, 2018 - 3:47 pm)
Sorry that I took a while getting this part out.
The grand entrance hall was as tall and elaborate and as a cathedral of old Europe. Looming double doors almost as high as the hall itself stood, locked, as an ominous reminder of their situation. Spots of sunshine streamed through the rafters, illuminating the visitors with patches of light as they sat idly around the hall. Uncertainty hung over their heads like a descending fog. A balcony wrapped around the inside of the hall, looking down at the scene. Shadows shrouded the back of the balcony, making it impossible to see what it lead into.
Agent Winter and Viola? had spent the morning unlocking doors and rounding up all of the CBers and their AEs (and one CAPTCHA). Agent Winter had been relieved to find that her AE, Night Vision, had been tucked away safely in the room down the hall. Groups had broken off, with a few wallflowers here and there. Many eyes were drawn to an armored young woman scaling one of the elaborate pillars. Below her, a girl with dark brown hair with purple ends in a Dutch braid was grinning and looking up at her bemusedly. The Dutch braid girl’s armored friend caught the balcony and swung herself up victoriously.
“Nice one Joan,” the girl chuckled, “what are you going to do now?”
“Find the stairs, for one,” the armored Joan turned into the darkness. “Oh wait, there’s someone back here!”
“Yes. There is.” The voice was smooth, but there was an undiguised undertone of irritation. Joan took a respectful step backwards as a young woman strode into the light. Her posture was as straight as a board, and she was dressed in an elaborate but unflattering Victorian style dress. She had dark hair pulled into a severe bun, and her lips were pursed like she had just tasted something awfully bitter. The woman turned towards Joan.
“What do you think you’re doing up here?” she demanded sharply.
“Finding a way down,” Joan said defensively.
“Well find it,” the woman looked Joan up and down distastefully. “Go on, shoo,” she reiterated loftily.
Joan looked like she was about to retort, but decided that this battle wasn’t really worth fighting and took a few steps down the balcony. She stopped there and didn't move a step further.
“Who put you in charge?” Agent Winter laughed.
“That’s what I’m here to tell you. Afterwards, I’m going to leave because frankly, you all annoy me.” She stood there, looking over the balcony for a minute. When no one really noticed her, she cleared her throat subtly.
No response
“Ah-HEM,” everyone snapped to look at her. “Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering why you’re here-” she started.
“Yeah, you kidnapped us!” a boy with his hand in an Avavtar hoodie cut in.
Several voices chimed in in agreement.
“No, I didn’t. Now if you don’t let me talk I’m not going to open the front doors for you,” the woman retorted coldly.
The murmurs quieted down.
“As I was trying to say, I have been hired to read you this paper. I will do so now,” she unrolled a faded scroll and cleared her throat.
“’Hello again distinguished guests, I trust you are all doing well for the time being. If you aren’t, that will soon be remedied. Not because you will be having a good time, though you will at first, but because you won’t be doing anything besides sitting in your grave.
“I am kidding, of course. As promised in the letter, you will be participating in twelve nights of parties, dancing, and the finest food and beverages money can buy. Every morning will begin with a clue hunt to find the day’s activity. You will not be aloud to participate in the day’s recreation if you do not dress in the clothing provided in your armoire. Isn’t that delightful?
Sincerely,
Unus deTua.’” the woman finished curtly. She swung on her heel and walked back into the shadows, tossing the letter over her shoulder. It landed with a clatter.
The small crowd was silent for just a moment before bursting into discussion.
“Wait,” Joan stooped to pick up the letter, “there’s a key! And a P.S.” The overall uproar tapered to a stop, which Joan took as a cue to continue. She stepped forward and read aloud: “’P.S. Watch out for the cliffs, they are steep. There are no boats to look for anyway. P.P.S. Does anyone know Latin? P.P.P.S. I may or may not have embezzled a large sum of money to pay for the services provided. But you will be happy to know that popcorn is free. ’ Well that’s… disconcerting.” She folded it up as talking resumed in the crowd below, and called down to her friend, “Hey Quill, want me to toss these things to you while I climb down?”
“Yeah! I’ll go see if the key works in the doors.” the girl with the Dutch braid, Quill, replied. She caught the key and darted over to the double doors.
The aged key went smoothly into the lock and turned with smoothness unbefitting of structures so large and old. Taking a deep breath, she pushed on the door.
It was immensely heavy and took all of Quill’s force to even cause it to budge. The hinges let out a groan as the opening grew wider and wider to the outside.
Although doors in essence are an exit, not all of them take us as far away as we would like.
(September 29, 2018 - 5:25 pm)
Interesting...
ndoo
No?
Noooooooooo
*shrugs*
(September 29, 2018 - 9:40 pm)
INteresting.
I love the detail and pictures!
(September 30, 2018 - 8:17 am)
YAAAYYYYY a new part!!! I love the art, by the way. What did you make it with? Also, I know Latin :)
(September 30, 2018 - 10:36 am)
This is very intriguing.
It's rare to find a story that has as good writing as it does illustrations. Both are just...just...so. GOOD.
(Also, I think I might see myself. But I'm not sure.)
(September 30, 2018 - 7:40 pm)
Thank you so much! You are indeed in the picture, I'm glad that you could recognize it.
(September 30, 2018 - 11:02 pm)
Wow-this is super cool! Both the story and the pictures! I love how you portrayed me!
Um... I forgot to put one teensy tiny detail in my appearance, and if it's too late to fix it, it's not a huge deal, but for my hair, I have long wavy brown hair that is often pulled up into a ponytail.
Also, is that me climbing up the balcony?
(October 1, 2018 - 10:31 am)
Awesome! I love the writing, and the illustrations. I can't wait to see what's in the armoires, too. I hope it's ballgowns!
(October 1, 2018 - 3:24 pm)