Rules Lite Tomb of Horrors

Hello everyone, welcome to the green room! For those of you who aren't familiar, "green room" is a theater term referring to a back-stage area where actors wait when not on stage. It usually has mirrors for touch ups, chairs to sit down on, and stuff like that. Okay, so, why do we need one?

Actually, it's my fault! Well, partially. In previous group RPs with dedicated OOC threads, Avi was having an issue where I, among other characters, couldn't help but jump in with some trademark sass, snark, and silliness, so she decided that we all needed somewhere to interact among each other, have meta-contextual conversations about the current events in the plot and to generally be silly together because writing character interactions is fun! Hence, the introduction of the green room threads.

These have become a mainstay in ALL of Avi's (admittedly rare) group RPs, as well as anywhere else she lets characters come out to play, and have started springing up in those run by people who have been in a green-room-having RPs as well. Is it a unique idea? Probably not really, but she came up with it independently. It's a lot of fun!

Rules: Just briefly, a few guidelines.
-Bluster and posturing happens, but play mostly nice.
-Characters only, no players here
-Generally, no inviting friends. Just story-active characters and me, unless you give me a REALLY good reason to make an exception. Even then though, no promises.
-Try not to make too much of a mess, I'm gonna be the one who has to clean up. =.=

About the greenroom:
Our greenrooms are generally treated as kinda weird external spaces where things are just kind of convenient. Default assumption features chairs, tables, couches, and a kitchenette off to one side with a fridge, sink, and cupboards with whatever you're apt to need or want. If we need a broom closet it has one, if a ceiling fan comes up in conversation it's there now, and so on. A reasonable amount of "yes, and" is just how the place works. It's meant as an easy place for us to goof off between posts or whenever our personalities are feeling prominent enough that the players just want to write us. Enjoy! I'll be taking a nap on that couch until someone needs me.

Victi is sprawled out on a long brown couch, front down, snoozing peacefully in the greenroom. Sometimes one of her tails twitches or flicks as she slumbers.

Ant wanders in with Enlil, slowly removes the upper part of his armour and sets it on the table before sitting down in a slump.

Groaning and covering his face "Can't I go five minutes without wanting or needing to murder someone....stupid loud metal thing...."

Ears perk up over the arm of the couch in response to the new arrival, swiveling to follow him as he moves to the table, and focus in as he grumbles to himself. Victi turns and sits up from her "nap" after a moment.

"If you indulge in some play-with-your prey practices it's easy to stretch the actual murder urges out to, like, ten or fifteen minute intervals. Longer if you're good at keeping the anticipation of the overall hunt process as your focus. Or maybe that's just a me thing." There's a playful, bantering tone to the possibly-unexpected fox's words. Apparently SOMEone is in a good mood, for better or for worse...

Enlil trotts over to the sofa to say hi to the nice fox lady, resting her face on the edge of the arm rest.

"It's not that it's like stupid follows me everywhere, I just want some peace and quiet without a crazed mob, shadow rogues, paladins or all manner of nonsense trying to ruin my day....I'm not mad just tired...never mind me being a grump.." he huffs and folds his arms.

"Oh, that kind of bloodthirst. Eh, felt honestly, people make me irritable too a lot of the time, but at least the actual group you'll be dealing looks capable enough overall. You've got a well trained and equipped explorer, someone whose strength is quick, complex problem solving and the correct application of specialized tools, and someone who's just Seen Enough Stuff and has enough bloody-minded determination to get the job done. Once you're in that hill the level of stupid should drop a fair bit."

She thinks for a moment, layers of her irises switching positions as small flicks of light sparkle across her pupils. Is that... text???

"Well, okay, the level of that kind of stupid. Are tricky traps day-ruining? Like at least in this case it's part of the deal of going after Ass-hole-erak, and it's still comparative peace and quiet. I'unno, maybe I just like dungeon crawls. You'll see how you feel about it once you're in."

Ant was at a loss for words and just made some random sounds "Seriously...I just....Sometimes I want to shake people and slap some sense into them....I'm sure this lot will be fine..." he sighed, slumping further into the chair.

"No, traps are just put there by annoying people...so I don't necessarily get mad at the trap...just makes punching the trap setter in the face all the more satisfying...."

Enlil continued to sit and stare at Victi in silence from 2 inches away.

"Okay, step one, bit of personal space, thanks." With a quick surge of magic, she's abruptly no longer sitting on the couch and instead standing up next to its far end. Disconcertingly subtle "I've found, at least for me, that trying to just fix behaviors, especially intentional behaviors just.... isn't worth the time or trouble if the person isn't insisting on getting in my way and able to stay there. Ignoring the sources and watching them experiences the consequences of their choices though? Totally worth it and hilarious."

"Personally I like a trap gauntlet, but I'm also a kinda theory-oriented wizard so I like solving interesting problems, and I understand the need to passively keep people out of places so that's a whole thing. I get the enjoyment of getting through and wrecking the person's day, though. Establishing a complete victory kind of feel."

"Also in the slightly silly breaking the third-and-a-half wall context outside the actual story but also not in a real OOC way, I'm the one who went and set up most of the dungeon to imitate the original, even though it... is the original in the actual RP. Things get weird in the greenroom, don't worry about it. That's why I'm here, actually, I can answer some technical questions about traps once you've dealt with them. The main point of all of this being to say that I'd appreciate if nobody punched me, especially since I didn't design these. Just implemented them.

"En, com here, she doesn't want to pet you." Ant recalls his ghoul who huffs and wanders back over to lie down on the floor next to his chair. The death knight simply rolls his eyes, not that it can easily be seen, then returns to the conversation. "I don't really find many that do get in my way that don't insist on trying to ruin my day...."

"Traps I am indifferent to, I just want to kill as many Liches as I can before I completely die. These villagers seem nice enough but without that cloud of bliss hanging over them I reckon they wouldn't be as accommodating. I've yet to find sane people willing to work with sentient undead but the thing is we are deemed as evil at first appearances....honestly...." he sighed "I'm whinging again..."

At her last statement he stared blankly "I only caught half of that...." if he was lucky.

"Meh, honestly the townsfolk, are mostly just dweebs," a hand an a tail make matching unconcerned waves as she says it "The kinds of low-tier necromancers with the 'grand scheme' of digging up a graveyard to raise up a half dozen zombies or skeletons, using them to bully some farmers, then hanging out in a crypt doing research until a group of newbie adventurers come and cut them down. Well, either that or the types who want to be the assistant to a powerful necromancer and get to pull the ominous lever on command or whatever. For you specifically, they'd probably still suck up and want to be your squire or backliner until someone more theatrical offered a better deal. Like, these losers don't actually even serve their so-called master, they just want to and hang out on his front lawn in hopes that he'll come out and notice them at some point. It's kinda sad."

She starts slowly pacing in front of the couch and going through some stretches

"Eventually they'll build a whole swamp city and a big academy and stuff, but even then they're still basically just wannabes. Anyway, with the stuff you didn't get, you'll get used to this whole... thing, eventually. Hopefully. Anyway, short and less... weird, version is that I'm here because I know how a lot of the Tomb works, and can answer questions about what just happened once you're done dealing with whatever it is that brought up the question, or if nothing happened in a given area and you feel like something was supposed to have. I don't give hints, just clarifications."

A rather frustrated and exhausted-looking Lisa sinks into the couch with a long sigh of relief. She doesn't even seem to notice the others.

"Ah...it's quiet here..."

Victi's ears perk up and her head snaps toward the new arrival, eyes shining with excitement. She leaps forward and teleports to be immediately hurtling toward the seated chimera.

"LISA! It's been so long! How are you?"

Lisa lets out a yelp as a familiar blur of kitsune fluff hurtles toward her. She remembers the last time this happened, not too fondly...

"V-V-Victi!? What are you- mph!" her question comes to an abrupt halt as the fox barrels into her. "I'm- fine???" she squeaks. Overwhelmed is the vibe seeping into her voice. But fine. Fine will do.

Victi's tails flop around happily
"That's good! And you're joining in on this thing, that's awesome! You... hmmm... okay it might be stressful and terrifying, but you might also enjoy it once you're in the groove! If you were trying to ask what I'm doing here before I impacted, the answer is basically technical support."
She swings herself around to sit next to Lisa
"Making sure everything is in place for you, modifying details of the adventure to be less unfair and more interesting, that kind of thing. You know how it is. Also helping to explain what exactly was going on with things once you're all done with them if anyone is curious, as well as answering other questions that aren't hints or spoilers or whatever. Basically I'll either be here or fixing things 'back stage' to make sure everything goes smoothly. You're... looking different. I guess I didn't realize how much time has gone by. How's life been?"

Enlil grumbles pleasantly as Lisa arrived, resting her face on the arm of the sofa, staring expectantly and wagging her tail.

Ant rolls his eyes, not that it can be seen. “Skeletons maybe weight….10kg…they aren’t that good for much…its not even a decent spell…basic necromancy…” shaking his head. “I don’t care for all the noise…” he watched Lisa come in “I hope it’ll quieten soon…”

Lisa shifts, pressing the small of her back into the arm of the couch. Tucking a loose strand of grey behind her ear she smiles faintly. "Ah, yeah. I guess, I guess it has. Doesn't feel that way though, it's...weird. Time gets weird between threads."

She jolts to attention at the sound of a faint growl. A long, boney muzzle encroaches on the edge of her vision. Hesitantly, she reaches to stroke Enlil's nose.

"Life's been...eventful. And yes," she nods to acknowledge Ant's comment. "I'd like it to be quiet for awhile, too."

V nods toward Ant to offer a reply
"Exactly, they're necromantic fanboys, not real trouble and not all that actively nasty, just... losers with magic best described as being bare-bones at best!"
She lets the pun hang for a sec before getting back to Lisa.

"I think for me it's less the meta bit and more just that most of the things around me change less. Maybe both, though. Anyway, we should get caught up at some point before I start feeling too much like the bird. For now though, a bit of peace is what this is here for, this time, specifically cooling down between... is encounters the right word? Situations, maybe, or just rooms. You either get what I mean or will soon enough."

Enlil grumbles happily as she’s petted on the nose. Tail swishing across the floor in a pleasant fashion. “She doesn’t mean any harm.” Ant informed Lisa “Most of the time she still thinks shes a boarder collie…”

Hey! Everyone! Remember that teamwork makes the not-dying work. You're going to need to brainstorm together about certain problems, and that whole figuring out thing can clutter main threads if it happens there. The banter thread is for our, well, your, part of that. The, uh, the ones upstairs use the social thread, mostly for clarifications, but when you need to talk between turns to help solve a problem, banter thread. You might not need it yet, but if you aren't quite putting the clues together it never hurts to share your logic so far with friends.