Betrayal Session 10

[idolpro]

Who: You lot
When: To be inserted into the timeline after completion
What: Betrayal at the House on the Game Tower

[ The game starts with you in elevators, the doors jammed shut. You can keep an eye on the city further and further below you, but there's no introduction to today's game.

It's just as well. Those of you who recognize it need no introduction to it. Those of you who don't couldn't be prepared by any host's opening spiel, anyway.

The elevator stops atop the central tower of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building and then lurches unpleasantly, wrenching itself out of where elevators ought to go. The sudden movement jolts you, and when the doors open you spill out into a room.

Hopefully, with not too much time missing. ]

Comments

RULES

[idolpro]

IC INSTRUCTIONS:

[ Still have your minds? Try to hold onto those, as long as you can! As long as you're safe and sane, the goal is to explore as many rooms of the house as you can-- first come, first serve! Only the first person to explore a room gets the points for it.

If you lose your mind, you'll turn traitor to those around you, and you won't be able to help but try to do what the house wants you to do. With the house pushing upon you, both physical and mental distress are a danger to your sanity. Take care.

And take heart, too, even if you do turn traitor! It's another goal, and if you're doing badly at the other, this is a way to win! You haven't lost it all yet! Especially since the traitor goals are worth more points with the audience. ]

OOC INSTRUCTIONS:

Each unit will have their traitor goal provided in a locked post of their starting room. Do not share your goal OOC, though do pay attention to other players' Do Not Wants when violence does occur.

Each room will be described with one paragraph of flavor text, which you can use to interact with each other but does not mechanically do anything or have dice rolls. Following the flavor text, the exits/entrances to the room will be listed, with one additional paragraph listing any other effects the room may have attached. Interacting with specific aspects listed after the entrances may give you stat bonuses, or stat detriments. Be aware of that! Flavor text from the first paragraph has no stat stuff attached.

Ping the runner the first time you enter a room, so we can get the description up for you.

The first time a room is entered, the first post will be descriptive. The second comment beneath that will be an event/item, unless the room does not have one attached, which would be noted in the first comment. Please wait for the second comment before responding to top-levels if you are the first person in a room.

If you are not the first person to go through a room, you can just comment beneath the top-level, there will not be another event/item for it.

Make rolls in the Discord roll channel as necessary. Rolls are made with 3 sided dice, minus the number of dice you're rolling, so zero is possible. Use the command .roll Xd3-X in the #dicebot channel on Discord, with X being the number of dice you're rolling.

If your character loses all of one stat, they lose their battle of wills against the House. All their personal morals and concerns are overridden. If it helps, think of it as similar to being possessed by a vengeful spirit. Those who have turned traitor do not get points for exploring rooms and do not trigger events or items. The possessed do not need to reveal their status OOC to other players, as many Traitor goals need to be performed in certain areas-- it is up to player preference if you are going to overpower another PC and drag them there, or trick them to going somewhere with you. All traitor characters know the whole map. The insanity effect is temporary, and lasts only as long as the game does. Characters turn traitor on an individual basis; if a character hits a sanity break, it will not also impact their unitmates.

Stat sheet changes and traitor status both carry over into a new session. If your character ended a session with +2 might and -1 speed from their starting positions, they will start their next session with +2 might and -1 speed from their starting positions. If they turn traitor, they will remain a traitor until endgame.

Any team that completes a traitor goal is automatically a winner. If less than half the units complete their traitor goals, then the remaining winning units will be those who explored the most rooms.

Session 10 Links

[idolpro]

How to play: Betrayal at the House on the Game Tower
Stat cards reference sheet
This session's stat card page - PLEASE DO THIS FIRST BEFORE YOU START PLAYING.
This session's map - to be updated as rooms are unlocked.

ROOM LINKS

[idolpro]

LiliS
sensitIV
pep!pep!
Taisho Roman Revolution
BAD END=DEAD END
future is now
WILD CITY
☆ZRAEL
Heart Soldier Senshi
AlcheME!
avante en garde
BARiTONES

UNDERGROUND LAKE

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Underground Lake. Aren't you supposed to be in the Game Tower? What on earth is this lake doing here!? It looks like a slice of the ocean, trapped and with a deep pulling tide. You could be irresponsible and take a swim, and check where the current would drag you out to but that's certainly not the wise thing to do. There's a shovel nearby.

You can go West or North. ]

PERMANENT EVENT: SMOKE

[idolpro]

Smoke billows around you. You cough, wiping away tears.

The Smoke in this room blocks line of sight from adjacent rooms. A character rolls 2 fewer dice (minimum 1 die) on all trait rolls in this room.

STOREROOM

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Storeroom - although for a storeroom, it's surprisingly barren. Inside are three tall metal shelves in a row, some rolled-up rugs shoved up against one wall, an extra champagne cube with one ottoman missing, and really not much else. It might have been emptied out for the latest party, or else maybe the people in this house just left all their shit strewn around whatever room it happened to end up in and barely used this place because of it.

There are exits to the north and south. ]

ITEM: EFFIGY

[idolpro]

Handmade with care, the doll is dressed in a tiny copy of your own clothes.

While you have the Effigy, add one die to all trait rolls, except when you attack or defend. If you ever lose or drop the Effigy, reduce each of your traits by one die.

DRAWING ROOM

[idolpro]

[ You enter the drawing room. Withdrawn far into the house, it doesn't seem like many guests could have ever been entertained here. Nonetheless, it's ready for the occasion. Most any occasion, actually. A large dining table, with a black mirrored surface stands at the center of the room, surrounded by tufted couches in black fabric with an oil-slick sheen. A roll-top desk stands by a bookshelf stands by a display case stands by an easel stands by a coat-rack. But that said, the room is occupied by strange silhouettes-- not the shadows of the damned, animate and three-dimensional. These have been painted onto various pieces of furniture, people that aren't reclining atop couches, sitting for their supper, as if to keep company someone locked away deprived of it.

There is an exit to the north, and to the east.

There is also, upon searching, a dumb-waiter in this room. ]

ITEM: SNAKE OIL

[idolpro]

The worn label has vague promises of renewed vigor. It doesn't smell poisonous.

Discard this item to choose a person in the room you're in (you may choose yourself) and raise one of their physical traits or mental traits to their starting values. If they're above starting values, this item does nothing.

CREAKY HALLWAY

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Creaky Hallway. The door behind you squeaks so loud when you close it, and the floorboards protest beneath your weight. You would surely hear if someone were to approach you here.

The room is a cross-shaped intersection, doors in each of the cardinal directions.

The room itself offers no particular dangers or advantages. ]

Re: CREAKY HALLWAY

[avestan]

[notices Man Eater following and glances back to him]

The basement, right?

CONSERVATORY

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Conservatory. It's been designed like a birdcage with art nouveau bars sleek and too thin to pass through even if you were to break the glass. The plants here are gorgeous, boughs of potted trees and vines weighted down fruit-- recognizable pomegranates, others more strange and unfamiliar. The flowers are all in full bloom despite the dead of night, perfuming the air thickly.

There are exits to the north, west, and to the east. ]

PERMANENT EVENT: DRIP... DRIP... DRIP...

[idolpro]

A rhymthmic sound that needles at your brain.

There is a drip in this room. All characters roll 1 fewer die (min. 1) on all trait rolls while in this room.

SERVANT'S QUARTERS

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Servant's Quarters. Beds are crammed in close together, stacked in two-tall bunks set into cabinets-- capsule hotel-like. The spaces between rows are narrow and hard to navigate, labyrinthine with corners that are designed so you can't see who's coming around the next hall. It affords privacy, at those cost of peace of mind-- you can hear footsteps but now know how close they are, you know surely there must be an exit close but be unable to find it easily through the maze.

You may go North, East, South, or West. ]

EVENT: MISTS FROM THE WALLS

[idolpro]

Mists pour out from the walls. There are faces in the mist, human and. . . inhuman.

Each character in the basement must attempt a sanity roll:
4+: The faces are tricks of light and shadow. All is well.
1-3: Take 1 die of mental damage (and 1 additional die of damage if in the Underground Lake, the Crypt, or the Vault)
0: Take 1 die of mental damage (and 2 additional dice of damage if in the Underground Lake, the Crypt, or the Vault)

STATUARY CORRIDOR

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Statuary Corridor. Marble statues of human, though all warped, figures form two lines down the hallway, unlabeled and unpainted. Compared to the rest of the house, this area is surprisingly clean and orderly; it might even be a nice space if the statues weren't all a little unsettling. This figure is so emaciated that she looks like barely more than a skeleton with skin stretched over it; that one has a second face on the back of his head; yet another has smooth, featureless eyes, and seems to be sprouting arrow shafts from various parts of her body. The line of them continues on in much the same vein, but one in particular might stick out as familiar: shorter-haired, rounder-cheeked, and given an uncharacteristically grim expression, while it may take a second look to place him, Mukuro's narrow eyes, immortalized in stone, stare unmistakably at the opposite wall.. The tension conveyed in the line of his mouth seems inappropriately solemn for the mess below his neck; what would otherwise be a very plain bust is made distinct by the gaping cavity carved out of his chest. The shape of his heart rests cradled in the pit; it's all functionally connected to the appropriate veins and arteries, but also messily and discernibly split into two separate halves.

There are three entrances, one to the East, one to the South, and one to the West. ]

EVENT: DISQUIETING SOUNDS

[idolpro]

A baby's cry, lost and abandoned. A scream. The crack of breaking glass. Then silence.

Roll 6 dice. If you roll equal to or more than the number of traitor characters in this session, you gain 1 sanity. If not, take 1 die of mental damage.

ROOF LANDING

[idolpro]

[ You arrive on the top floor landing. There are exits to the north, west, and south.

Some of the wallpaper on the wall to the east looks slightly loose, indicating a door hidden behind it. ]

Re: ROOF LANDING

[puzzlers]

[ downstairs! ]

[ need. to. keep. moving. ]

We need to arm ourselves.

JUNK ROOM

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Junk Room. It's difficult to wedge the door open to enter, so much are the multitudes of junk that have been heaped here. Among other things, suits ruined with cigarette burns, books with red wine staining and fusing the pages, half a motorcycle, and a pawn shop's worth of wrist-watches all in need of repair litter the floor. There's a stack of mirrors against the wall, so you can see how ridiculous you look as you pick your way through the mess, too. It's a trial and a half to wade through this room, and opening any of the doors promises to be equally arduous.

There are four entrances, one in each cardinal direction: to the north, east, south, and west.

To pull open a door you'll need to make a Might roll of 3+. If you fail, you'll lose one speed from tripping and hurting your ankle while yanking it open, but you'll still get out. ]

EVENT: SOMETHING HIDDEN

[idolpro]

There's something odd about this room, but what? It's tickling the back of your mind.

If you want to try to figure out what's odd, attempt a Knowledge roll.
4+: A section of wall slides away, revealing an alcove. You receive an item.
0-3: You can't figure it out, and that makes you a bit crazy. Lose 1 Sanity.

UPPER LANDING

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Upper Landing. An opulent staircase from the lower level curves an elegant line to the landing, to down below. The dark mahogany of the flooring almost hides the rust blotches and trail, where it looks like something bloody was dragged unwilling up them, leaving desperate scratches in the wood.

There is an entrance in all four cardinal directions: the north, east, south, and west, as well as the option to take the stairs down a floor or up a floor.

The room itself offers no particular dangers or advantages. ]

Re: UPPER LANDING

[wonderlandgirl]

It should be south from here, shouldn't it?

GYMNASIUM

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Gymnasium. A portion of the room is consumed by a vast swimming pool. Of what isn't, a third of this equipment is recognizably exercise equipment, a third is recognizably torture devices, and the remaining third could go either way. Or possibly that last third is bondage equiptment?

There are two entrances, one to the West and one to the North.

One of the treadmills has been left running, set to a training course. It… seems safe enough. Do you want to train? (Once per round, if you train here, gain 1 speed.) ]

EVENT: REVOLVING WALL

[idolpro]

The wall spins to another place.

On a wall lacking an exit, the wall switch connects this room to another room it was not previously visibly connected to. A character in either room can attempt a knowledge roll to use the Wall Switch.
3+: The character finds the hidden switch and goes through.
0-2: That explorer can't find the hidden switch and can't go through.

KITCHEN

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Kitchen. It gleams, modern, chrome, and threatening. A kitchen needs no haunted house to twist to be threatening— a rack of knives tall as a child is set into a long countertop, pots and pans hang from above. There's stoves with gas and flame, a wood-fired oven and a modern one, a walk in freezer with a very prominent pad-locked— currently left open, but that could change. Inside the freezer, there is nothing but meat. Inside the refrigerator, cake. On the counter, a meat slicer guillotine and jars and jars of pickled ingredients-- hopefully ingredients.

There is one entrance, to the West. ]

GROUNDSKEEPER

[idolpro]

You turn to see a man in groundskeeper clothing. He raises his shovel and charges. Inches from your face, he disappears, leaving muddy footprints, and nothing more.

You must attempt a knowledge roll. (A character in the gardens rolls 2 fewer dice on this roll)
4+ You find something in the mud. Draw an item card.
0-3: The groundskeeper reappears and strikes you in the face with the shovel. GM rolls a Might 4 attack for the Groundskeeper. You defend against this attack by rolling dice equal to your might.

LAUNDRY

[idolpro]

[ You enter the laundry room. The slightly warm, fresh smell of clean laundry covers an undertone of mildew from somewhere. Though it's clean, the lighting is low, and flickers from time to time overhead, abruptly throwing the room into darkness for moments at a time.

A corner of the room has been used for storage—cardboard boxes full of out-of-season decorations, knick-knacks, costumes gone out of fashion and all manner of disused theater props.

There is an exit to the north, and to the west.

If you end your turn here, you may discard your item to draw an item from the discard pile. There is a dumbwaiter here. ]

ITEM: MEDICAL KIT

[idolpro]

A doctor's bag, depleted in some critical resources.

Once during your turn, you can attempt a Knowledge roll to heal yourself or another character in the same room.
8+: Gain up to 3 points of Physical traits.
6-7: Gain up to 2 points of physical traits.
4-5: Gain 1 point in a physical trait.
0-3: Nothing happens.
You can't raise a trait above its starting value with the medical kit.

BATHROOM

[idolpro]

[ You enter the bathroom. All the mirrors and windows are fogged up, a bath full of warm water and bubbles already drawn. The room smells heady, like warm wine that's been spiced— and, if the bubbles clear, it seems that… might be what's in the tub. It's dark red, sloshing lightly like something's moving beneath the surface, before more foam wells up to cover what's been cleared away.

There are exits to the north, west, and to the east. ]

EVENT: SOMETHING SLIMY

[idolpro]

What's that around your ankle? A bug? A tentacle? A dead hand clawing?

You must attempt a speed roll:
4+ You break free. Gain 1 speed.
1-3: Lose 1 might.
0: Lose 1 might and 1 speed.

GALLERY

[idolpro]

[ You enter the gallery. A wide brassy-railed mezzanine, it encircles the ballroom below like the spectator seats of some grand coliseum. Statues engaged in obscene and immoral acts are ensconced in recessed archways behind pulled back sequin curtains, all of them seeming like they could be party-goers caught at their absolute worst, and petrified— literally— by discovery.

There is an entrance to the north, east, and the south.

You may also choose to jump to the ballroom below . . . It'll hurt if you do. Take 1 die of physical damage if you choose to do this. ]

EVENT: BURIAL MOUND

[idolpro]

A pile of rocks covering a fresh corpse. Too fresh.

The burial mound, once discovered, stays in this room. Once someone has died this round, the corpse attacks the next person to enter the room. The corpse makes a might attack of 4 against the character, and if the character wins by 3 or more, the burial mound is no longer in the room. Otherwise, it will continue to attack people who enter the room.

GRAND STAIRCASE

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Grand Staircase. An opulent staircase, it curves an elegant line to the upper landing, out of sight above. The dark mahogany of the flooring almost hides the rust blotches and trail, where it looks like something bloody was dragged unwilling up them, leaving desperate scratches in the wood. The landing below has a dark splotch where the blood starts at the bottom, where an altercation must have started in full-view of the front hall.

There is one entrance to the south, and one that leads to the second floor landing above.

The room itself offers no particular dangers or advantages. ]

Re: GRAND STAIRCASE

[liarliarliar]

Let's check if our boy left us any marks... We can gauge a danger level. Upstairs?

LARDER

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Larder. A great plume of white bursts into your face as you open the door-- a sack of flour lands with a heavy thud. It's only that. It's landed heavy by the door, surrounded by many more sacks of flour, sugar. Crates of dried goods line shelves, alongside tins and spices. Something moves in the sack.

You may go West or East.

The tins don't look tampered with. You could risk eating something here to keep your strength up, you're probably not going to find much better in this mansion. (Oncer per round, if you eat the rations, gain 1 might.) ]

ITEM: CEREMONIAL ROBE

[idolpro]

Not sure if it's for the sacrificer or the sacrificee

Once per room, when you make a Sanity or Knowledge roll, you may reroll any number of those dice.

BALLROOM

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Ballroom. In the center lies a marble slab dance floor meant for many bodies -- perhaps literally. Crime-scene outlines are traced in tape across the dance floor. Above, the avante garde scrap metal chandelier glimmers like knives, and the ballroom speakers pump a low thrum of bass into the room like a heartbeat you can feel in your ears, throat, and all through you.

There are entrances to the West, North, and East. ]

EVENT: MUTANT HOUSEPET

[idolpro]

A mewling. From inside the wall. A second yowl erupts from the same spot in the wall, a different feline voice. Two cats? You only hear one scratching to get out. Two heads? You claw at the plaster to find out.

You must attempt a speed roll of 4+. If you fail, take one point of physical damage from the pet's attack. If you succeed, gain 1 sanity and 1 speed for freeing it.

FOYER

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Foyer. An extension of the entrance hall, the center of the hall is taken up by a fountain, water slopping over the sides through a grate in the floor as in waves as if displaced by some tumultuous battle. The statues in the fountain are engaged in a still-frame war, gladiatorial armies holding spears aloft with wounds that leak water to the fountain below. Watching over all this is a prominently placed painting of man. Beneath it is a plaque, no name or artist but instead are the words, "Do Unto Others."

The room itself offers no particular dangers or advantages.

There are exits in all four cardinal directions. ]

Re: FOYER

[carnivorouscarnival]

[ hmmm. ]

This was a pretty big gathering spot the first time around...

GARDENS

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Gardens. Wrought-iron gates divide it from the edge of the skyscraper, imposing points silhouetted against the dark sky, lit from beneath by motion activated lights in the soil that glow as you walk past them— announcing your presence to everyone out here. An apple tree dominates the center of the garden, roots buckling the paths and littering its fruit— all perfect, unblemished where it has fallen, all throughout the garden. Small sprouts spike from the ground, pale and strangled imitations of the central tree, none of them thriving.

There are three entrances: one to the north, one to the east and one to the west. ]

EVENT: WHOOPS!

[idolpro]

You feel a body under your foot. Before you can leap away from it, you're knocked over. A giggling voice runs away from you.

Assign numbers to all your items, and roll a die to find which will be affected, then discard the chosen item.

WINE CELLAR

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Wine Cellar. Barrels and barrels of alcohol fill the room - beyond what the eye can see, because it seems there's a sort of mortar setup going on to prevent you from going too far into the wine cellar. For the love of God, let us see the wine! Oh well - you probably shouldn't drink it, like, even if this is the one time you can get some without spending points, it's probably better to avoid the drink, right? Avoid spirits. . . .

You may go upstairs, or you may go East. ]

ITEM: SNAKE OIL

[idolpro]

The worn label has vague promises of renewed vigor. It doesn't smell poisonous.

Discard this item to choose a person in the room you're in (you may choose yourself) and raise one of their physical traits or mental traits to their starting values. If they're above starting values, this item does nothing.

BASEMENT LANDING

[idolpro]

[ You enter the Basement Landing. Aside from piles and piles of coal here in this room, there's not really much else . . . It's really just coal, soot and dust coating everything. Your footprints leave dark tracks as you walk through it, on ground in ashes. What on earth are they burning down here, to need this much coal? How large must the furnace be?

You may go North, East, South, or West. ]

Re: BASEMENT LANDING

[nohalation]

[It does not matter how large for there are more important things.

North!]