"Together In Sequence"

Public Event occuring after the weekend. Hopefully everyone should be ready.

Whether you are still in a personal post or not, you are welcome to participate in the dream sequence with all of you together.

Each of you is arranged around a dining room table, sitting in a nice wooden chair. Some of you recognize the table as the one found in the house you were in last time you had a funky dream. However, the difference is that the room is very much larger and there are over twenty seats. All three doors in the room are closed, and outside the windows you can see just bright greyness of fog or mist.

Once again the house interior is dimly lit, blue and somber. Nic-nacs line shelves, old expensive paintings line the walls. A fireplace is lit, but seems to provide no warmth.

looks around at the people around the table and stops at Ayla

Sara? last time I saw you, you got sucked though a door in that weird manor.

while looking around the table again So does anyone have a clue what's going on?

Steepling his hands in front of his face, Lucas looks around the room, settling for slightly longer on the women than the men. "Interesting. I remember most of you, but I don't think I would've brought us all together in this scenario."

Special Note: Your bans and draws, if you have any do not function while dreaming. For that matter, unless made to specifically work in dreams - no powers work here. Inquire within if you have questions abou it.

Several chairs remain empty. Only you five are seated. An easy count places the number as exactly the number of people found on the side of the road on Rt. 57. Quite interestingly, there is a painting of that stretch of road on one of the walls. This place looks a lot better without all the sheets covering it.

Gets up and examines the painting.
"So has anyone else noticed anything strange happening since that night?"

Lucas rolls his eyes a little, and taking a seat at one end, remarks, seemingly to himself but loud enough for everyone to hear, "Why does someone always want to start on step three?"

Well how about we start with names first. Then move on to the weird stuff. I am Alessio Marconi.

"Lucas. And I guess it depends on your definition of strange, but sure, certainly out of the ordinary."

Celina sighs, shaking her head. She looks around, noting each visitor and all the exits.

Here we go again...

"Murphy." She nods laconically at everyone by way of greeting, "And does anyone know where "here" is?"

"We're in the sorting house. What that means I have no idea. Line of people, we're here, same place. Less important than 'where' is...'why'"

The door to the kitchen opens and a very ancient bald man in a butlers suit - which is much too large for him. Perhaps he had filled it out in some younger portion of his life. He carries with him a tray with five cups and a tea pot, trailing steam as he ponderously makes his way to the table. His face is one of pure concentration.

"Tea. While you wait, sirs and madams" he says just as he reaches the table. He is not so graceful in his landing however. The tray slams down and the cups teeter over, some rolling onto the table. He steps back about two steps and waits with his nose in the air.

Eyes the bald man cautiously
"Tim, and for what it's worth this is Grey Manor. I have also come into possession, of all the items we seemed to have on us on the 'train' when we left, as well as something else."

"While I was dreaming of this place the first time, the Bronze Mask told me where to find our items. There are also... other items there, besides our personal effects. Once we all wake up, we may want to meet, and figure out what is going on here. We have been given an item to 'guard'"

"Interesting. And I know where Grey Manor is. But the few things I had on the train might be useful to have returned."
Lucas pauses for a second, then looks around the room again before settling on Tim. "Why don't you tell us how you ended up with our stuff, and the item we're supposed to guard. And then why don't we talk about why and if we're going to work together."

OK strange time I guess. First I was told this by an odd voice from the apartment above mine.

Go and find the others from the roots. The one with the glimmering shield is looking for all of you too. The one with the tree colors has a locked thing in a place to put things. The colorful girl is walking into a trap in the cherry orchard, but it wont kill her right away. The beautiful man is beginning again in stone, but he will head towards the grey place and he will be followed"

Probably another piece of the puzzle or whatever this all is. The voice also told me to go back tomorrow. Of course it could just be some crazy person. Guess I will find out tomorrow.

The beautiful man, eh...I can work with that.
Lucas chuckles, but says nothing.

"I don't remember exactly what it said, so don't quote me on this, but it said WE, and seemed to be refering to a group, chose us to 'change' us. It said we have this thing to protect, it was a chest, and I have the key, it said as long as we all live it will be empty. I have the letter back on my body. God that is a strange thing to say. As to why he gave me the key and not the rest of you I couldn't say."

The butlet clears his throat and moves over to the wall and adjusts a painting.

Wits + Composure roll from everyone.

‘The Colorful girl is walking into a trap in the cherry orchard!’ Ayla thought, looking at her strange company. She didn’t know how he would know anything about all that, but it was certainly valuable information. The whole thing had felt like a set up. And what was that about ‘it wont kill her, yet.’ Would going there somehow end up with Ayla going the way of old yeller? It wasn’t that the girl wanted to live long enough to see 100, but she was figuring on at least getting to thirty. Might need to have a talk with this Adam fellow.

2010-04-27 14:46:03 Ayla rolls 6 dice to wits and comp 8,9,7,4,8, 8 (4 successes)

2 Successes: You simply notice after you turn back from the butler that there is now a 'painting' on the table. As in the surface has been decorated with a highly detailed oil painting of the Bronze Mask man. But the color is different.

3 or more successes: Though, the pattern on the mask is differnet, and not bronze. And this looks more feminine than the bronze masked man. The mask is instead, more gem-like with a gold frame. You would say its more of a ruby color.

There is writing at the bottom. "Ashea Labroa".

Lucas glances briefly at the movement of the butler, but keeps his eyes on the others.
"So, Sara, Tim, Alessio...Murphy...seriously? You're first name is Murphy? Anyway...why don't we agree on a time and a place to meet, so we can take a look at the letter, get our stuff back, etc. etc. etc."
Lucas waves a hand a little dismissively. "More importantly...are we going to follow the spooky advice and work together to "guard" this thing, and if we are, what sort of skills do we have, and how can we help each other?"

Well for the letter, the sooner the better.. My job starts next week and not sure what kind of schedule I am gonna have.

I think we should follow the advice for now and see what happens. What is the worst that can happen? we figure out someone is playing us or all of this is real.

I am leaning on the side of this is real and we should play along.

As for skills I am a trained actor

leans back in the chair next......

"I'm a people person, and I tend to make my money in less traditional manners, so my schedule is pretty much wide open.
"As far as scheduling, shall we say the food court at the mall, lunchtime. Open space, lots of people, no way for us to shiv each other...and if all is agreeable, we can move to a restaraunt or someone's place."

"Sure, distinct possibility there Sara. But you can't only accept half the argument. If someone or something, or multiples of same, are powerful enough to run this on us, whether it's real or not, supernatural or not is irrelevent. "They" are powerful enough to do it, "they" are powerful enough to punish us for not playing their game. And unless "they" are a group of models and dilettantes near their sexual peak with an oral fixation, I can safely say I don't want to be punished.
"So you just need to decide if you're in or out, because the best case scenario for this is it's a fake, and all you'll end up with is a group of people with who you share what amounts to a bad trip. At the other end of the spectrunm, sweetheart, is we get together and you opt out. Then, I'll remark how tragic it is to Alessio, losing someone so young for such a pointless reason as I'm buying both of us cappachinos.
"With Tim's haircut and bearing, I'm assuming he's either military or a mime...and he's already talked.
"Which just leaves the two ladies, the plucky Sara, and Murphy."

"I tend to agree that we at least meet in 'the real world' and look at everything we have and go from there. If we are all having seperate dreams then there would be one lonely person having lunch in the food court at the mall. We can all look over the letter I have and get a better understanding, in case I am misremembering anything. As for me yes Lucas I am in the Army, stationed here at the fort in Amherst. My schedule is pretty rigid, I will have to check my duty schedule and get back to you on meeting tomorrow, but it shouldn't be a problem for me."

Well here is something to keep in mind ladies as you think about all of this. Now I am showing a lot of trust here, so keep what I am about to say under your hats. Recently I was chased by a man, that changed into a dog. Yes as he was chasing me, like in those horrible werewolf films, he changed into a doberman pincher, and as I passed some glass and saw my reflection, I was a rabbit. Yea freaky right, but if "they" can do that to me on their whim. Like Lucas said I do not want them punishing me for NOT playing.

a few second pause as if thinking, then starts to smile

And honestly, is your life that exciting that it couldn't use a little adventure?

The butler turns around, takes out a cloth and begins wiping down the table. "Seems you have someone here on the table. In my experience, its best to listen and watch for all the subleties. It is best to listen to THEM especially. Lest you end up like me, under ban forever to serve, perhaps that ban is over. I am not sure anymore". He looks at the table again. "Labroa. That is the message they want to show you here. They cannot speak in the dark place. Nor can they come and speak in the dreams".

He sighs. "Do not ask me who THEY are. I couldn't answer even if you asked. Thats not how the system works. I wouldn't put any thoughts into how strong or weak they are. But I would think that they need you for something, and you have or will need something from them eventually". He finishes wiping the table as if to note he is done speaking now.

Wits/Comp: 3 Successes

Celina sits silently, listening to the flow of conversation around her.

Her eyes rove around the room, concentrating mostly on the person speaking but always moving.

She raises an eyebrow when the air headed boy-toy comments on her name, but otherwise doesn't react.

"I'll see if I can drop by." She replies laconically.

After a pause, she continues.

"But 'why us' seems to be an interesting question to add to the list."

"Going along to get along isn't such a bad philosophy sometimes. I'm sure we can always work out ways to help each other out, as it comes up. A bunch of self-motivated people are always easier to work with than those deluded folks who believe in altruism."

The butler produces a small crystal bell from his pocket and rings it. You all awaken.


I'll be back in your personal forums this week. Feel free to contact each other and interact in posts here on this board by making a post. I will react to questions and actions as appropriate.