March rolls around and the hotel seems to be doing just fine, bar any of the usual shenanigans. In fact, it's one of those just fine days that Mr Bennet comes on the speaker and announces to the hotel:
"Hello, hello, my lovely guests! There seems to be an issue where one of the floors is, er, overlapping the others. Sorry about that. If you end up on this specific floor, just go through it instead of avoiding it. Then it'll stop bothering you, promise! It just wants the attention, clearly."
What this means is this: as characters move throughout the hotel today, they might end up on a floor they don't mean to be. What floor is this? The Labyrinth floor. Even if the elevator or stairs open up to a floor they're intimately familiar with, they'll be faced with a dark floor where the only view they can see is a hedge maze in front of them, beckoning them inside.
TEST OF COURAGE
The labyrinth floor will haunt characters as they go through their routine for the next three days. If they're lucky enough to avoid it for those three days, they'll be fine. But like Mr Bennet said, the easiest way to deal with the labyrinth is to just go through it.
The floor is dark, with the hedge maze reaching a whopping 15 feet high and only ending at the ceiling above. Characters will be led through a maze that has many dead ends and pitfalls. Some dead ends will feature monsters they have to fight or puzzles they have to solve (maybe a sphinx they have to answer the riddle of, for instance). If they try to ask the monsters or anyone else they find in the maze what the point of the maze is, the answer will always be to get to the middle. Find your prize. Claim your victory.
WHO AM I
If your character succeeds in making their way to the middle of the maze, they're in for quite a sight. What's waiting for them in the middle of the maze? Oh, it's just yourself. They'll be faced with a doppelganger of themselves in the middle of the maze, who just seems to be standing there, waiting for them.
And when they find that doppelganger, it'll only be a few moments of staring at each other until the doppelganger attacks. That's right, it's time to kill your double! The doppelganger has all the powers and skills that the original has with an added murderous intent. There's no hesitation from the doppelganger, no mercy. The only solution here is to kill or be killed.
If a character has teamed up with another character to reach the middle, two doppelgangers will be present instead — one of each character. The same goes for three or four characters.
VICTORY CRY
If a character managers to win against the fight against their double, they'll end up being transported right back to their hotel room and find a gift on the nearest surface closest to them. The gift can contain anything, something from home, something they want dearly, a memory they've forgotten. Just something precious to the character.
If a character ends up dying instead, either to a monster or their double, they'll wake up in the infirmary an hour later all patched up and like nothing happened. No prize! But the labyrinth will no longer be haunting them to go through it.
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hotelcaelum2024-03-15 08:31 am
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With a heavy sigh, the sphinx gives the healer another (yes, another) riddle to solve.]
"Two men are in a desert. They both have backpacks on. One man is dead. The one left alive has his backpack open and the man who is dead has his backpack closed. What is in the dead man’s backpack?"
Hm... Oh! [River snaps his fingers.]
A parachute!
"... Correct. You may pass now."
Nah, man! Gimme another, these are fun!
"You've solved ten of my riddles already. You've proven yourself more than worthy to..."
C'mon, what's one more?
"... Fine. Here is my next riddle. How do eight eights add up to one thous—"
888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1000!
"At LEAST let me finish before you answer, human!"
[Someone save the sphinx from River (or save the latter from being eaten bc he's being annoying, idk)]
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River-- I mean, the sphinx.
And River, who seems to be frustrating the creature to no end. By rattling off correct answers to riddles, at that, which only halfway surprises him. He approaches, brow raising.
Is that monster blood on his shirt? Don't worry about it.]
Maybe you can help me with my own riddle, doctor.
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Yo! Henry! Glad you made it through.
Uh, you got a little something on your... [He points out the blood on Henry's shirt, but then shrugs.]
Never mind. You got a riddle for me?
[The sphinx looks so relieved, please someone else do their job]
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I guess this shirt goes in the wash later.
[WHATEVER it's fine. Henry eyes the sphinx, who looks exasperated and yeah. Same, buddy. But it's been a while since they've spoken, so his Deal With River meter has renewed vigor. He can deal with this.]
I meant more that this sphinx was going to give me a riddle to pass, probably, but... I think you might have bled it dry at this point. [He hums.] I can offer you one, and if that counts as a "trial" in its own right, maybe your friend there will let us both pass?
[Mr. Sphinx don't you want to be free of this man? Let them both pass if Henry can conjure up a riddle.]
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[The sphinx SIIIIIGHHHS but sits up straight, dark beady eyes, settling on Henry.]
"If you are willing. He's more than ready to answer and I am more than ready to take a nap."
Hit me, Henry! I wanna see if you can make the gears in my brain stop. I think you'll be surprised.
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All right. When I was younger, I used to have a little book of riddles, actually. I think I can remember some of them.
[Captain Midnight's book of Tricks and Riddles. He wonders what's happened to it. Probably rotting away at Creel House, pages turned to mold or dust. Like so much of that time.]
How about... "When can you add two to eleven and get one as the correct answer?"
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[River crosses his arms giving the riddle some genuine thought. One would think he's the type to hardly have any thoughts, but his wits against the sphinx (and being a very young doctor obviously) are a clear indication that he just thinks in several different directions.
Which is why about a minute and half later, he snaps his fingers after reaching a conclusion.]
On a clock! Cause if it's eleven o'clock and you add two, that's two hours later which would make it one o'clock or in army time, 13:00.
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[Well, River might be a dolt part of the time, but he's shown time and time again that doesn't necessarily mean he lacks intelligence. It's a personality issue.]
If you're giving this sphinx the run for your money, someone who used to enjoy riddles isn't going to be much harder for you. Good job, doctor.
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[says the musclehead...
The sphinx lifts itself up and trots away from the path it has blocked, grateful that it can FINALLY be done with the incessant River. The young doctor does a little fist pump in the air and gestures to the newly opened path.]
Alright, you coming along? Two heads are better than one!
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[That's a muscle. :)
But yes, he decides to just walk towards the path without necessarily waiting for River.]
Come on. I'm ready to find a way out of this place.
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[Throwing his arms back behind his head he follows Henry without a care in the world.]
I think it's been an hour since I was in here. Maybe I could have gotten out quickly, but the sphinx was pretty fun. It's not too often I can encounter supernatural creatures even in my world.
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Well, what would happen if you came across any dangerous ones? Would that still be very fun for you?
[Clearly, such exists. Henry has blood on his shirt for a reason.]
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Nah, probably not. I'd have to really use my brain and depend on some dumb luck. Usually when I got into a tight spot, Lulu would do the heavy lifting.
[And if Henry remembers anything about the medium, she did not look like she could do any of that.
Anyway, so about that blood...]
Did you... Run into trouble? Like. That's not your blood is it?
[suddenly, he feels like he should be more concerned]
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This? No. [He pauses, coming to two paths in the maze. Left or right?] It's not mine. Haven't you stumbled across any monsters yet?
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[Dumb luck indeed... River heads left on the path while glancing at Henry again.]
Anyways, how have you been handling things? Telekinesis??