An exam is necessary to pass from Y2 to Y3 but the exam can either be this self-run dungeon, or you may post for an NPC run exam here if you would prefer NPC interaction! Whichever you choose is up to you, but you must complete at least one in order to grow / post for growth art!
This exam can be taken either solo or with a friend or two! This exam is taken entirely at your own pace! You can take a day, a month, a year, whatever you want! Have fun with it! This is meant to be a good opportunity to delve a little into your character! You can only do this exam if you have met the necessary RP requirements. This is not a take-anytime-and-use-later dungeon! You do not need to pass this exam, you just need to complete it (and meet the 800 word count requirement) for it to count! You must still post for your exam here; just note that you are doing the exam dungeon! GMs will still check to make sure you've completed your reqs, so make sure you've got everything ready! Y3 is the final stage for a Halloweener! Graduation is just an optional bonus stage!
Again, an exam for passing onto the next year is mandatory, but now you have the option of doing a self-run dungeon or requesting an NPC run exam! Best of luck to you all!
THE EXAM: MAZE OF MADNESS (Y2 > Y3)
There's no note this time; you wake up in the middle of the night to find yourself standing at the entrance to an enormous maze. Towering hedges stretch on for what seem like forever, and you have no idea where at school you even are, but it seems like every time you try to step backwards, you can't. Your footsteps only carry you forwards, to the maze.
"Greetings," says a voice to your left, and when you turn you can see a pale haired man with sharp teeth smiling genially at you. "My name is Professor Zephron; I'm the Potions Professor here at school, and I'm here to guide you through your exam."
He gestures towards the maze. "It's simple, really - all you have to do is get through the maze. I'll be waiting on the other side with your certificate, so come find me, okay?"
And with a grin, he shifts into a monstrous emerald hellhound and darts away, deep into the maze.
Well. Guess you better get started!
THE EXAM
There are two parts to this exam! You must complete both in order to successfully complete it!
PART 1: COUNTING STEPS
You need to get to 30 steps in order to get to Part 2! At each milestone passed there will be a small status effect, so make sure you're reading them carefully!
Roll 1d12 with each post to see how many steps you go! At 5 steps you realize the world has tipped and you are now walking upside down. It doesn't hurt, but it sure feels weird... At 10 steps you're right side up again, but it's like you're walking through thick mud, though you see none. Your legs feel heavier than normal. At 15 steps your legs feel okay, but now the maze keeps going in circles around you and it's starting to make you feel kind of sick... At 20 steps (thankfully) the world has stopped spinning, but you realize that somehow you've shrunk. Or maybe the maze has just gotten bigger. At 25 steps, you seem to be your normal size again, but it's so cold and so windy it's almost as though you're being pushed backwards. At 30 steps, you seem to have finally made it through almost the entire maze. In fact, you think you can see the door up ahead, except...
Except....
PART 2: THE FIGHT
As you near the end of the maze, something huge blocks your way - a dark shadow that has been lurking ever since you started walking. It looms in front of you and seems to want to deny you passageway - but you've already come this far, you're not going to let a little shadow get in your way!
Except as the shadow moves closer, it shifts form - and suddenly you're facing not a shadow, but yourself; except wispy tendrils of black are seen emanating from the fingers and toes, even the eyes upon occassion.
How...weird.
Your shadow self has 50 HP. Use standard attack dice to kill it (2d8 - 6)! It does 2 autodamage for every successful attack. If you miss, you don't take autodamage! You are allowed to use FEARS!
Upon dissipation of your shadow self, you finally reach the end of the maze and burst through. An emerald colored hellhound sits beneath a nearby tree, looking as pleased as pie. When you walk nearer, he shifts form and the Professor comes into view again, raking blonde hair out of his eyes. There is a stack of parchments beside him; Certificates of Exam Completion.
"Congrats," he says pleasantly, and bends to pick up one of the parchments. He hands it to you with a smile. "Welcome to Hob level."
Kanth rolled 1 12-sided dice:
7Total: 7 (1-12)
Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2015 3:53 am
There was no note for Marosa - he woke up to find himself staring down the long hallway of a labyrinth, hedges towering to jack knew what height.
He didn't even know what part of the school this was a part of.
"Greetings." A voice spoke to his left, and Marosa turned his head to regard a short man with pale hair, teeth sharp and grinning rather deviously.
"My name is Professor Zephron; I'm the Potions Professor here at school, and I'm here to guide you through your exam." To Marosa, he didn't look like much - but then again, he knew better than to question a professor. They had more tricks up their sleeves than there was bones at a skeleton stag party.
He gestured towards the maze, a simple gesture and not at all grandiose for as big as the maze was. "It's simple, really - all you have to do is get through the maze. I'll be waiting on the other side with your certificate, so come find me, okay?"
With a grin, he shifted into a monstrous emerald hellhound and darted away, deep into the maze, leaving Marosa with slumped shoulders, staring after him with a lost expression.
Jack. How was he going to do this? At least hellhounds had scent to work with!
Stepping forward into the maze, Marosa felt like the world had tipped and he was walking upside down.
It didn't hurt, but it sure as jack felt weird... and the more he walked forward, the more his head tingled until he reached up and rubbed it quickly, as if he could get rid of the sensation that easily.
Shaking his head and continuing forward, the world felt like it was right side up again. His head ceased to tingle, but now his legs felt heavier than normal - almost like he was wading through mud. The faerie squinted down at his legs.
Maybe it was invisible mud. Wouldn't that be his jacking luck?
Kanth rolled 1 12-sided dice:
11Total: 11 (1-12)
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 1:35 am
It wasn't long before Marosa, with his long stride, slipped out of the rather invisible mud and continued on, following the maze path he thought was the right one. By the way some branches and things were broken and bent, he was certain that the professor had come this way in a hurry.
The path led to the right, and he followed it with haste, only to find that the pathway kept going in circles around and around, and the poor gancanagh had to stop a moment to catch his breath and not feel so sick anymore.
For the first time in his life, Marosa would have been more than happy to escape the greenery that surrounded him, finding comfort in the walls of his room and the walls of the school rather than this green monstrosity.
Hell, he'd even take his home over this at this point.
Deciding to inch forward further, Marosa's world stopped spinning, but the more he walked forward, the more he realized that the labyrinth walls had gotten bigger. So much bigger.
On second thought, after he looked to the side and stared at a leaf, he began to wonder if he'd gotten smaller. That would be just his luck, wouldn't it?
Pursuing the maze path to the end was his goal - he just had to slog through it. Due to the maze returning to normal, Marosa definitely felt that he was normal sized again, but there was an unnatural wind that started up and attempted to push him back, preventing him from walking any further.
For the first time in his life (the second realization for a first time for something), Marosa was glad he didn't have his wings to help the wind push him back. A minor blessing in disguise. Clutching his scarf, he leaned forward and barreled onward, his intent unwavering.
Finally making it past the point of the major wind push, Marosa looked up to see the door ahead, eyes lighting up. He'd made it! He had actually succeeded in finding the right pathway and following it to the end!
The faerie stepped forward, intending to use the door to exit, only to find that something huge blocked his way - a dark shadow that he didn't realize - until now - that had been lurking behind him ever since he first walked into the maze.
Why hadn't he noticed that before!?
Jack.
He took a fighting stance, not intending to let a little shadow block his way. Marosa had already come this far.
He wasn't going to back down now.
Kanth rolled 2 8-sided dice:
7, 7Total: 14 (2-16)
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 1:51 am
Taking a step back as the shadow shifted, it shifted and changed and began to resemble him. It took his form and had him down to an almost perfection, except for the wisps of blackness that trailed from its fingers and hair and edges of its form, including its eyes.
It looked uncannily like him, except darker.
Was this what he was headed towards, if he didn't shape up and try to work with Hadiyya and Sharra?
Marosa swallowed hard, fingers going towards his throat and massaging it as if to loosen the lump that had formed there.
No. This wasn't his destiny. This was some sick, twisted joke that he had to put out of its misery.
Launching himself forward, he attacked and slammed his hand right into the chest of the shadow creature, letting out a grunt of surprise as it grasped his hand and flung him against one of the hedge walls. He tumbled off of it with ease, earning a few scrapes and scratches on the way down.
When the world stopped spinning, Marosa stood up shakily and glared at the shadow that seemed to be floating there, staring at him with a smile that seemed to mock him.
It seemed like it was laughing at him.
Fury filled those golden orbs of Marosa's as his fingers curled, wrapping around warmth that formed a shape in his palm.
"You... jackin' thing," Marosa hissed, throwing the glowing warmth at the shadow creature, not realizing it was him until the shadow thing shrieked and backpedaled a few steps, glowering and hissing in return as it sliced down one of the faerie's arms.
His joy was short lived. Moving forward to attack again, Marosa missed entirely as the shadow cackled, retreating further once the flames were out.
It didn't speak... but then again, it didn't have to. Marosa could tell just by the way it looked that it was mocking him endlessly, taunting him over the fact that he'd missed.
Damage: 0 Shadow HP: 22/50 Marosa HP: 44/50
Kanth rolled 2 8-sided dice:
3, 8Total: 11 (2-16)
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 4:43 am
Having had enough of the taunting, Marosa ran forward and used his leg to snap into the shadow creature's side, making it growl in return. He earned another scrape to the arm over it, not caring that his arm was bleeding freely now.
Wincing as he held his arm, the faerie began to slow down and knew he wasn't feeling that great either - he moved forward and took a blow to his front, but got in an uppercut that made the shadow reel in pain.
Damage: 4 Shadow HP: 13/50 Marosa HP: 40/50
Kanth rolled 2 8-sided dice:
4, 8Total: 12 (2-16)
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 4:47 am
It would have been so easy to gloat right then and there, but Marosa closed his golden orbs and suppressed the feeling, knowing full well that it wasn't the time nor the place.
He'd done that before.
He had done a lot of stupid things before.
Frowning and popping his neck, he arched his back and danced around the shadow, earning a glare now instead of the usual grin that he'd received a few rounds ago.
It looked like it was learning. Watching him. Waiting.
They both struck at once. The shadow, clawing down his front and barely grazing him due to the amount of clothing Marosa wore. Marosa got a better hit, using both hands to pound into the shadow's skull and render him dizzy for a few moments.
It was enough time to dance away, and plan another attack. Hopefully.
They were both winded, but the shadow creature looked absolutely livid. It was now doubled over, glaring with the same bright orbs that Marosa had, but they seemed strangely dimmer.
It still said nothing. Not a word.
Marosa walked over and punched it.
It punched back.
They both glared.
Damage: 3 Shadow HP: 4/50 Marosa HP: 36/50
Kanth rolled 2 8-sided dice:
1, 3Total: 4 (2-16)
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2015 4:55 am
Marosa grimaced, frowning as he moved to punch, only ending up missing.
Dammit, he was tired now.
The shadow glared at him, no hint of a smile on it anywhere.
He was tired, and his arm was beginning to ache where the creature clawed at him. Marosa gritted his teeth and punched the thing in the nose, earning a very awkward cry of surprise, only to be punted to the ground by the shadow's leg.
Hey, there was the sky again. This time, it didn't spin.
