Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Trick or Treat: Black Pine Crossing

Jonathan awoke from his afternoon nap in the library sometime around supper. The sun hung low in the sky, nearly set, as would be expected for a late October evening. Strange that Maddox hadn't been the one to shake him awake, though. Usually the redhead was meticulous about making sure his master never missed a meal, especially with winter on the horizon and the ancient wizard's frail health showing more each year.

He glanced at the dwarven timepiece set on the mantle above the hearth. It was nearly eight, and he hadn't seen or heard anyone else in the dimly lit library of his home for quite some time. With a grunt, he hauled himself upright, off the sofa, and headed for the doors, leaning perhaps a bit more heavily on his silver and black staff than he might otherwise, had he not just woken up.

As soon as he stepped past the threshold to the library, past the silencing spells he had laid into the doorframe centuries ago, a cacophony of calls and a symphony of smells practically pounced upon him. He shuffled down the hall and looked left over the balcony that hung over his home's grand entrance hall, where tables were lined up with all manner of festive foods, and his employees milled about setting up even more treats. Odd decorations lined the walls and pillars of the hall. Carved pumpkins from the garden, with candles lighting them from the inside, were lined up along the staircase leading up to the second floor, and paper garlands with cutouts of spiders and spirits were strung from the rafters.

Perhaps oddest of all, every one of his employees participating in these activities wore strange clothing.

"Maddox!" Jon called, finally spying his chief of staff among the crowd, currently laying out some sweet smelling pastry filled with pecans and maple sugar. The redhead was dressed ridiculously, a long yellow tunic with wide black stripes covering his torso and wire antennae woven into his hair. "What in Leyar's name are you doing to my house?"

Black Pine Crossing's chief of staff went almost as red as well-trimmed beard after being called out by his master and distant relative, stammering for a moment as he tried to find his words. "Well, I... ah, you see... There's ah, there's a holiday some folks celebrate at the end of October--"

"All Hallows Eve, yes. I've heard of it." The old man interrupted as he descended the stairs to stand next to his distant nephew. "But why are you dressed like that?"

"Oh..." Maddox briefly stared down at his getup before answering. "Apparently that's a bit of a... local tradition. It was Ari's idea. Apparently among the people who celebrate, there are some who also wear costumes and visit the homes of others who celebrate in search of treats, hence..." The redhead trailed off, waving his hands around the banquet laid out in the hall.

Jonathan let out a long sigh, staring around at the other members of his household who had all come out for the occasion. Ariathel, the wood elven cook, waved at him from across the hall, where she wore a green dress and a hair piece that made her look a bit like a flower. It wasn't hard to imagine who suggested which outfit. Her younger brother, Bralthrawn, the gardener, smiled from where he laid out warm dinner rolls in an orange shirt with pointed ears and a stuffed orange and white tail. A fox? Maybe. The stable boy was nowhere to be found, but he didn't find that surprising. He could still be shy about these things, and with the full moon on the horizon... maybe he would be making himself scarce.

"I suppose that means we'll be expecting guests." The wizard grumbled, noting the many pairs of glowing eyes in the shadows of the room. All the little dragons that call this place home, his prized pets, had been spooked by the ruckus caused by all of the party planning. No matter, hopefully that meant they wouldn't disturb the guests. "And I suppose that means I should probably find something to wear too."

"Far be it from me to advise it, sir. But you may want to put on more than just your housecoat if you'll be joining us tonight."

"Hmph."

Jon grunted, turning back toward the stairs and disappearing into his quarters on the third floor. He emerged sometime later dressed in the kind of finery many would consider fit for a king. Layers of embroidered silk robes, a heavy mantle, all in shades of blue and gold with a circlet rested atop his head. He didn't look happy about the transition, much preferring his loose cotton trousers and comfortable housecoat, but the formal regalia served as a good enough costume that he won't have to waste spells on making himself look different. It wasn't really a costume, of course, just the clothes normal people expected him to wear on a regular basis, but it would do.

He stepped back down the stairs, and as he did he waved his hand off to the left, then to the right, throwing magic across the room and bringing the decorations his people had put up to life. The spiders strung on garlands wriggled their legs, moving up and down as if on webs of their own. The shadows at the corners of the room formed ghostly shapes that danced across the floor. The faces carved into the pumpkins scrunched up and grimaced as each came alive with frightening cackles. A phantom hand arose from the punch bowl, reaching for any that dared come too near, as similar apparitions flew through the rafters.

Now they would be able to entertain guests properly.

Decked out in a sparkling fringed rodeo shirt, a pair of bright red leather boots coated in puffy glitter glue, and an old cattleman hat encrusted with diamond rhinestones, Gabe Kendall stood perfectly still in the cold, misty air of a foreign landscape and… blinked.

He was not dressed for the bone-chilling weather of autumn in the mountains; he hadn't even taken the slightly milder weather in the valley into consideration when he picked out this chintzy jeans-and-chambray costume from Goodwill. He'd been milling about in the toasty, overcrowded halls of the downtown community center a moment ago, where children screamed in delight and ghoulish tunes like Monster Mash poured out of the overhead PA system. He'd anticipated a headache, certainly, but not hypothermia.

The unexpected stillness of the silent forest made his ears ring and his pulse skyrocket. And yet… suddenly finding himself in an unexpected location with his breath billowing out of him like a steam engine wasn't nearly as strange as the sheer volume of unrestrained, full-strength, natural, wild magic vibrating through the air all around him. And through him.

It was like waking up in a utopian dream. Or, considering the tidal wave of unmonitored arcane energy likely meant the government of his homeland had experienced a severe and total collapse… slightly dystopian. It would depend on who you asked. To Gabe, it felt wonderful.

He shook his shock off and hurried for the door, silently praying the wards he sensed on the property weren't an omen of an unfriendly groundskeeper.

After making use of the door knocker (no answer, but he heard voices and laughter inside) he let himself in and had to stop again, glued to the floor from amazement at what he saw.

"...I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto."

The eighteen-month-old toddler strapped to his chest (dressed in a do-it-yourself pony costume made of felt and yarn from Dollar Tree) babbled a reply that wouldn't mean much to most parents, but Gabe's telepathic bond to the child clued him in on the boy's swell of pure delight.

Gabe had to agree: the place was awe-inspiring.

"Excuse me?" He called out to the nearest cluster of folks and waved sheepishly. Tall as a street lamp and wide as a barn, it was impossible for him to blend into the strange environment even before adding his garish costume into the equation, but standing out was not something he did with much comfort. The oversized man cleared his throat and made his best attempt to project a soft-spoken baritone above the din.

"I don't mean to intrude, but I think we've gotten horribly lost. Could someone point us back to the main road?" If such a thing existed.

Whatever sorts of guests Jonathan was expecting to arrive to this party, the man who walked through the doorway certainly wasn’t it. Nearly as tall as the mountain his home was built on, clad toe to top in reflective gemstones, and toting a child (who seemed to be dressed as a horse) strapped to his chest…? He was certainly an odd sight. But a guest was a guest, he supposed, and this was the first one of the evening, if his eyes did not deceive him. Even dressed up in their costumes, it was still easy enough to recognize the various members of his household milling about, enjoying the games and snacks.

The wizard smiled up at the man as he approached, intending to stow his usually abrasive mien in favor of something more polite. It was an attitude usually reserved for political meetings and court hearings, but he guessed it would serve him just as well tonight.

"Welcome, young sir." Jonathan voiced his greeting to the garishly clad individual, choosing a respectful title not only out of habit, but because he assumed that anyone who could afford such a lavishly decorated outfit must be either very wealthy, or very well known. "There is only one road on or off this mountain, the one that leads back to Agate Pass, which you would have come up to get here. But I would invite you to stay awhile, if you please. We have plenty of food and festivities to share."

The mage lifted his hand, then, gesturing to the long tables set with food and drink with the wine glass he held, and offering everything presented to the young man.

"Tell me, friend, what is your name?"

As Gabe drank in the medieval decor and splendid illusionary magic all around him, he felt he was beginning to understand how he had come to arrive on the charming mansion's doorstep.

It all started at the Community Center.

There had to have been another mage in the crowd. Someone quite powerful, who liked to have a good time and possessed a wonderful sense of humor; someone who was extending the invitation exclusively to other mages, hence the large concentration of arcane energy on the property. And finally, someone who wanted to celebrate the holiday away from law enforcement interference by hiding their festivities in the middle of the wilderness. Kind of smart, really.

Somehow Gabe had to have stumbled across their transportation spell on his way to the candied apple stall, like triggering a tripwire or a trap door. Distracted by the children, and the noise, and his lingering grief, the magic had caught him unaware. That's all. And he's sort of glad it did; he might not have walked into the trap if he'd known it was set.

Anyway, whoever the mystery host was, they had to be someone very wealthy. The rental costs for the place, let alone the catering… And the man who greeted him so attentively was surely a hired thespian. Had to be. The Vokunan accent rolling off his tongue, melodic like the lilt of the Irish, really sold the whole 'transported back in time' theme.

"I… see." Gabe scratched his cheek while fighting back a smirk. 'Agate Pass' had to be code for something recognizable, but what? A landmark? A service road? Maybe this was like an escape room challenge and he'd have to solve the riddle before being released back home…

"I'm Gable, and this little colt is Lee."

The toddler stared deeply into the old man's eyes without blinking.

Silently appreciating the quality of the man's costume, Gabe cleared his throat lightly. "Is the host around? I'd like to give them my compliments for such a dazzling show. This sure beats candy corn and bobbing for apples."