#chuubey

Prologue Trial (Start)

With the gruesome task assigned, the group quickly get to work investigating the final fate of Alice. While none in the group would call themselves professional sleuths, there's at least a bevy of evidence to be found in the following hours.

It's as midnight approaches that a notification from Chuubey summons everyone back to the very same Clocktower. You're exhausted, but it seems the night is still young.

Prologue Start (Pt.4)

The pink brick-and-mortar pavement is charming in its own right. However, as much as you may want to stop and examine them, the slow but steady approach of a wave of iridescent fog urges you to keep heading towards the source of the cries for help.

And it isn’t long until you come closer to the source: a pair of impossibly massive but nearly transparent curtains that ripple in space-time ahead of your group. They seem to reach into the strange, pink sky.

Prologue Start (Pt.3)

Though the group of you badgers the Incubator for clear instructions or, more importantly, answers: the Moon Rabbit plays coy. Even with some of your number's kinder efforts to get them to speak, you receive little. Though, they do impart one important piece of information...

Each and every person here was a fellow Magus. More importantly, you were all Magi who had made a contract with the Incubator before you.

Surely, there must be some greater connection?

"You want to know why you all are here. The Mayor of this city can answer that question better. Why not wait for them to make their grand appearance to settle your human worries?"

Prologue Start (Pt.2)

As the twenty Magi all begin to rouse, plenty of questions and suspicions begin to fill the air. The world of magic was cruel at times, and many were rightfully reluctant to trust complete strangers; Magi or not. Though, some were more amenable to trying to get introductions going.

But still, it isn't long until a voice interrupts your chatter.

“I see that you are all finally awake.” 

Host Reveal #1 - The Moon Rabbit

“Magi certainly have a certain… way of getting themselves into trouble. Don’t you? But if you’ve gotten yourself into this, then surely you can find the power to get yourself out of it.”

While the Witch of Memories had stated that you all would only have a few hours to investigate, time was difficult to track in the Mastermind’s Mind Space. Wandering the city of uncanny shades and places that could have been familiar once upon a time, you were always aware that this was at least a portion of someone’s psyche. 

The mind of the traitor who’s trapped you here, for whatever reasons they saw fit enough to sacrifice you to. 

 ‘Heart’, the fragment of Wonderland’s progenitor, had made the occasional appearance to you all throughout your travels -- but the next time you hear them is over the newfound wind.

“That is… all we can provide to you. The City is growing unstable, so you’re best to leave now!”

“The final trial will be held on the Rooftop of Wonderland Tower. If you gather in the Plaza, we can spirit you up there.”

It takes about ten minutes for you all to reconvene in the imposing shadow of the tower as you’re left standing there quietly. You had all been told that you would be taken up, though it’s not immediately obvious how. You may even begin to walk towards the Tower itself to begin climbing, but another, familiar, shadow looms to the south.

The enormous Witch of Memories appears seemingly from nowhere as their form twitches and shudders. Slowly, their form lowers themself to kneel before you all as one arm raises higher into the air. The space around you fills with that glimmering, iridescent miasma and swathes you all within it.

You blink and, after a few seconds, you find yourself much higher up. With their mostly-featureless face and hands resting on the edge of the arena, you realize that you now stand on the Rooftop of Wonderland Tower.

Area Unlocked: Wonderland Tower Rooftop

You’ve made it. At last, the top of the tower is unlocked. A sea of stars in the clearest sky you’ve ever seen floats above your head, twinkling yellow and white on a background of the vast purple expanse of space.

Unlike the previous trial rooms, the top of the tower only has eleven podiums. Eight for the living students stuck in Wonderland, neat and strong but otherwise lacking distinctive features. Spread throughout the eight: three crumbling podiums for the surviving Magi of the previous killing game rescued through your stay here. In front of the podiums of Masami, Masumi, Nene, Katrine, Fuyu, Moriko, Yukio, and Atsushi: a single gold star, about the size of a fist. It glimmers with otherworldly light. In between each podium floats several white candles of varying sizes, illuminating the area with cold light.

A teddy-bear sized throne sits in the middle of the room, elevated on a podium. It seems that Chuubey gets a prime location to watch your final debate.

When everyone has chosen their podiums, Chuubey takes a seat on their elevated throne, rings around their ears clinking softly.

Do your best. Any less spells disaster for you all.

Given their earlier order to all of you, there seems to be little point in defying the Grand Witch a couple of hours after you’re allowed to leave. With their threat of your own fall into witchdom fresh on your minds, the current survivors are all ushered North.

Pressing your way through the fog that once led to Cheshire Crossing, you can feel the atmosphere shift as you meander through the iridescent miasma -- similar but somehow unlike the one you have grown accustomed with. As the signs and the semblance of trees begin to disappear completely, you find the ground beneath has hardened with your footsteps.

The mist thins and you find yourself in a place totally unlike anything you have grown accustomed to in Wonderland. Standing in the middle of a street paved with asphalt, you find yourself staring up at a massive, spiraling city. From the looks of it, this appears to be a downtown area, despite the fog encapsulating the road almost a hundred feet away on each side.

The City

So this was the Mastermind’s Mind Space…?

Looking forward, you spot the smiling face of Heart with their hands clasped together.

“Impressive, is it not~?” the silence following their words is telling and they chuckle awkwardly, “...Sorry. I realize you don’t care! Regardless, this will last as long as it can be sustained -- which will be a few hours. That should be enough time for you to host a trial-?”

Suddenly, an all-too-familiar voice cuts through the quiet. You realize that it’s been a moment since Chuubey has addressed you all.

“This is quite an enormous usage of power, hm..?” 

The Moon Rabbit’s expression is always difficult to read on account of them not having one beyond neutrality.

“Apologies to you all. I did not realize that one of the Powers was… enacting something of this scale. Though, it appears they have already filled you in on the apparent situation…”

The King and the Incubator stare at one another for a moment before Chuubey turns their attention back to the group.

“My information is… limited, in a way. You are at the monster’s mercy. We will reconvene when your trial will commence. It will be at Wonderland Tower, yes…?”

The fragment of Mnemosyne’s smile strains as they cross their arms, almost as if they’re ready to bare their teeth.

“Yes, yes! I’ve goooot it! Now go on, shoo! Go, go!” they scrunch their nose, flicking their hand at Chuubey, “Mnemosyne helped create this, so we will handle any questions here. I don’t get to talk much~!”

“...Hm. As you wish…”

With a final, very long stare through you all (are they looking at someone in particular?), Chuubey finally departs. Likewise, as you all turn back around, Heart has also disappeared. Though, their disembodied voice reaches you.

[Goooo get them, then! You don’t have long, so it’s recommended you split up~ This is your one chance… so don’t waste it!]

Sitting in the oppressive darkness,  the swirling shadows at your feet part, revealing a pile of Grief Seeds and Grief Fragments. Each student is allowed to take 1 Seed and 4 Fragments for yourself.

From the back, you see light begin to seep through the floor as the entrance reappears to you all. In it sits the silhouette of Chuubey, whose tail flicks from side-to-side. 

"Objectively, you all have grown quite powerful. Do you feel accomplished...?" 

 They hum, sauntering further into the darkened arena.

"Even with diminishing numbers, you are able to fell these things born of your friends' despair." they turn their head upwards, "Though... I do mind to warn you against... arrogance.”

The Moon Rabbit's ruby eyes glide open, piercing into each and every person still standing.

"From what information I have, it is impossible to best Wonderland. My experiences with Magi never indicate that they will work together for long. That is what this place feeds off of, hm...?" they pad over to the dissolving body of Mimir. "Enjoy your victory, but remember this: the only way to leave is to steal. To kill."

Chuubey looks back.

"Think carefully before you choose to seal your fates together. You are not heroes... this is simply a fact."

With that, the incubator trots away into the light -- leaving you with the fresh memory of three lost friends and their ominous threat to hang over your heads.