Basement Area Descriptions
Blue Doors: Ornate golden double doors with knockers for handles, reserved for those few who have the talents needed for the trials that lie beyond them. While anyone can enter, many might be leaving empty-handed.
The Coliseum: This is a room where many have perished while others have won victories by the skin of their teeth and the blood in their veins. The floor of the arena is made of hard-packed dirt and sand, a dividing line and guiding circle painted out in white in the middle of it. The room's ceiling is as high and impressive as the Grand Ballroom's, sloped up into a dome made of glass from which artificial sunlight seems to pour. There is no shortage of light in this room, though there is certainly a shortage of mercy.
Coliseum Seats: There are three sets of seats in the Coliseum, all raised high above the ground of the arena and with no apparent way to escape from them: West for the supporters of one opponent, East for the supporters of another, and a large, throne-like chair in the middle section of seats for a man who watches the fight and announces its ongoing carnage with feverish glee...
East Hall, West Hall, South Hall: The east and west halls are almost exactly identical in that they are long, narrow, and the walls are made of stone. There are candles in holders along the wall (along the lines of the ones in the grand ballroom), so patients would still be able to see where they were going once their eyes adjusted. There are tapestries covering the walls, depicting what seem to be like horrific war scenes. Though the style of the art makes them come off as old, the subject matter seems a little more modern. Despite the creepy imagery, these two halls seem to be safe havens in that monsters won't appear there. The south hall, on the other hand, is rather short and almost pitch dark. Patients would feel the need to huddle together as they made their way across, as there seems to be a draft in the hallway which makes a worrisome, low whistling noise.
The Grand Ballroom: The ballroom is the first room patients see upon entering the basement, and it is probably the most impressive room in the entire institute. From where the circular ballroom begins, past the twin fountains that flow from one grate at the top of a pillar down to a grate in the floor, the ceiling slopes up high in a curved, dome shape to make the expanse of room almost overwhelming. The floor of the ballroom is built out of polished, reflective black marble, while the six pillars that hold it all together and the door at the south end are made of opaque white marble. From the very top of the grey marble ceiling, a large silver chandelier adorned with candles hangs. There are also candles attached to the walls in silver holders, low enough that a patient could grab one and keep it as a torch if they wished. Despite the fact that the room is so huge, there isn't much in it by means of furniture, but there is enough open space that it does seem as if it could house enough people to have an immense masquerade ball. Were someone to speak or yell while in the ballroom, their voice would echo eerily back at them.
Green Doors: Heavy, brown double-doors which seemed to be made of wood with bronze trimming. They have ornate angelic and demonic figures carved into them. Once a patient goes through and closes the doors behind them, they would hear a distinct clicking sound that indicates that the door has locked itself.
Hall of Armor: This hall is well-lighted due to lanterns that hang from the ceiling which seem to swing back and forth on their own (and make creaking noises as they do). The walls are made of a smooth, light brown stone, but the patients will probably be more concerned with the nine suits of armor that run along them. While the armor is impressive in the fact that each one is unique, with styles ranging from medieval to something more along the lines of a samurai, what is most important is what each suit of armor is holding. The armor stays in place no matter what, and none of it can be taken, but some of them are wielding different assortments of weapons which can be taken and used for the challenge that lies ahead. Strangely enough, there seems to be a weapon the fits the expertise of each patient that enters the room, even more modern things like guns. In fact, that style of the armor and the types of weapons that are in the hall seem to be different depending on which patients are entering the room at that time. No matter what, though, all of the weapons are amazingly well-crafted, ornate, and beautiful to look at, but most of them seem to be coated with dried blood. However, once one patient grabs a weapon and proceeds through the door at the end of the hall, all the other weapons suddenly disappear...
The Labyrinth: As if exploring the institute wasn't hard enough before, the labyrinth takes getting lost to a whole new level. While it might seem simple enough to patients upon first entering, it quickly gets more than complicated enough for even the best of navigators. The visibility in the maze isn't very good, which makes it feel as if the room has no boundaries and might go on forever. The walls, which reach straight from the ground to the ceiling, are made of gray-colored stone. While the walls might seem to have taken some beatings in the past, there doesn't seem to be any way to break through them, which means that patients have to get through the hard way. Yet another chilling thing about the labyrinth is how enclosed and quiet it is. The silence might ease patients into a false sense of security, but there is always the chance that something is lurking around the next corner. (Note: Assume that any solid lines on the map are walls which the patients wouldn't be able to get under, over, or through in any way.)
Orange Doors: Made of the same white marble as the ballroom's pillars, images of celebrating angels are carved all over these double-doors. The feeling one would get from looking at them would be of victory, but these doors would be unable to open initially. There are two indentations on them, where it appears items must be placed.
Purple Doors: Huge, ominous double-doors that are made of black stone with studs going along the edges. They don't seem to be as well-made or stylistic as the other doors found in the basement, as they are rather plain and have no images emblazoned on them, but they seem to be unable to be budged-until the rest of the basement's secrets are explored, that is.
Red Doors: These double-doors seem to be the complete opposite of the orange door, made of rough black stone. Instead of angels, it depicts demons with bat wings who seem to be the real winners of some untold war. Even though the demons seem to be celebrating, the general feeling it gives off is one of dread. This is compounded by the fact that a carved snake head sticks directly out of the middle of the two doors. Its jaw is wide open and it has two large, pointed fangs which hang down. Carved above it into the doors is this message: “Only those two who offer their blood will be allowed entrance.” The message would be near-impossible to see without some sort of light source, since the south hall is so dark. Once two patients offer one drop of blood each by pricking their fingers on the two fangs, all patients present in the hallway black out... (Contact the mods for details for what happens after this.)
Room of Air: Considering the patients would have just come from the Room of Earth, this room is a jarring change. There is a quiet calmness about it - in fact, it seems to be completely silent. The problem is that it is completely covered in thick fog, to the point that a patient wouldn't be able to see even a foot in front of them. (They would also most likely end up slightly damp from it by the time they got through.) This means there's no way to know where the walls or the ceiling are. All patients have to do is get across, but there are walls that they might run into and pit holes that they might fall into, as well as monsters that might be lurking beyond their vision.
Room of Earth: The first thing a patient would notice upon entering this room would be the noise-a loud, rumbling sound. The room's walls, which appear to have been sculpted out of red clay, slope up. There are rows of large holes near the ceiling which spit out large boulders that roll down the wall, across the floor, and then up to the corresponding hole on the other side of the room. While it's a straight shot across to the next door, the patients would have to rely on their timing to make sure they didn't get crushed by the boulders. It doesn't help that there isn't an exact timing, and the boulders seem to come rolling down sporadically. Being quick and having sharp senses seems to be a necessity to get through.
Room of Fire: While the temperature in this room might seem like a godsend after the Room of Water, it soon becomes unbearable as well. Most of the room's floor is covered with searing hot lava (except for either end), and there are only a few rather small floating platforms that patients will be forced to use to get across. They're spaced far enough apart that patients would have to jump to get from one to another. If too much weight is put on one platform, it might start to slowly sink. There are also gold gargoyle heads on the walls which periodically spit out flames that can stretch out to even the middle of the room. Patients will want to get through quickly, but they should be careful and take their time so they don't slip.
Room of Water: The entire room is made of ice, though it is constructed so that there are walls of it which weave around in a serpentine manner. This means that patients can't just walk right across - it's more like a hall of mirrors, and almost as confusing, since the ice happens to be reflective. A lot of it is jagged as well, and since the floor is slippery, it would be easy for a patient to lose their balance and stumble into something sharp. There are also sizable icicles with hang from the ceiling and have a tendency to crack and plummet downward. It is, of course, extremely cold, and even the patients who were smart enough to wear coats will be shivering. To make matters worse, once patients get halfway through they're forced to cross a pond which is only covered by a thin layer of ice. If too many people get on it at once, or if someone doesn't step lightly enough, the ice will crack and the patient(s) will be submerged in freezing water. And it isn't exactly easy to pull yourself out when you fall in...
Silver Doors: While these would look like the green doors, they usually aren't visible. If a patient was in the Grand Ballroom, there wouldn't be any sign of these doors, even though they are marked on the map. But if a patient finishes going through the labyrinth, the weapons range, or the four elemental rooms, the door would be there to lead them back out into the ballroom. However, once they had exited, were they to look behind them, the door would no longer be there...
The Sphinx's Chamber: There is a certain warmth and ambiance to the room, most likely caused by the gold sheen of the walls and the low ceiling. However, any comfort that might be felt upon entering is usually crushed once the main point of the room is noticed. The sphinx, large and imposing, is settled impressively on a raised, ornate pedestal which is carved with symbols of the creature itself. Its tail tends to twitch back and forth as its piercing, unnervingly human eyes consider its visitors. While the sphinx could be considered another monster of the institute, it is one of a kind and never leaves its lair. It also is one of the only monsters that actually speaks, and its intelligence should be feared more than its claws. However, if a patient decides to answer one of the sphinx's riddles and gets it wrong, there are bound to be consequences...
Weapons Range: This room, unlike much of the basement, is very well-lit, with a ceiling that would seem as if it was made of skylights to a person who had forgotten where the room was. A patient who had just entered with a weapon in hand from the Hall of Armor would be immediately able to tell what the purpose of the room is: A test meant for the wielder of the first weapon taken through the green door. (See the Hall of Armor room description.) The weapons range tends to shift depending on what weapon was brought through the door; if it needs to be an archery range, it will be so, and if it needs to contain moving dummies for sword-wielders, it will change to be that as well. (Contact the mods for the details of the test meant for your specific character's weapon.) Beware, however, for only true masters of their weapons will be able to fulfill this room's demands, and while the weapons will flash and then disappear for those succeed, for those who fail, the weapons have a much worse fate in store...
The Coliseum: This is a room where many have perished while others have won victories by the skin of their teeth and the blood in their veins. The floor of the arena is made of hard-packed dirt and sand, a dividing line and guiding circle painted out in white in the middle of it. The room's ceiling is as high and impressive as the Grand Ballroom's, sloped up into a dome made of glass from which artificial sunlight seems to pour. There is no shortage of light in this room, though there is certainly a shortage of mercy.
Coliseum Seats: There are three sets of seats in the Coliseum, all raised high above the ground of the arena and with no apparent way to escape from them: West for the supporters of one opponent, East for the supporters of another, and a large, throne-like chair in the middle section of seats for a man who watches the fight and announces its ongoing carnage with feverish glee...
East Hall, West Hall, South Hall: The east and west halls are almost exactly identical in that they are long, narrow, and the walls are made of stone. There are candles in holders along the wall (along the lines of the ones in the grand ballroom), so patients would still be able to see where they were going once their eyes adjusted. There are tapestries covering the walls, depicting what seem to be like horrific war scenes. Though the style of the art makes them come off as old, the subject matter seems a little more modern. Despite the creepy imagery, these two halls seem to be safe havens in that monsters won't appear there. The south hall, on the other hand, is rather short and almost pitch dark. Patients would feel the need to huddle together as they made their way across, as there seems to be a draft in the hallway which makes a worrisome, low whistling noise.
The Grand Ballroom: The ballroom is the first room patients see upon entering the basement, and it is probably the most impressive room in the entire institute. From where the circular ballroom begins, past the twin fountains that flow from one grate at the top of a pillar down to a grate in the floor, the ceiling slopes up high in a curved, dome shape to make the expanse of room almost overwhelming. The floor of the ballroom is built out of polished, reflective black marble, while the six pillars that hold it all together and the door at the south end are made of opaque white marble. From the very top of the grey marble ceiling, a large silver chandelier adorned with candles hangs. There are also candles attached to the walls in silver holders, low enough that a patient could grab one and keep it as a torch if they wished. Despite the fact that the room is so huge, there isn't much in it by means of furniture, but there is enough open space that it does seem as if it could house enough people to have an immense masquerade ball. Were someone to speak or yell while in the ballroom, their voice would echo eerily back at them.
Green Doors: Heavy, brown double-doors which seemed to be made of wood with bronze trimming. They have ornate angelic and demonic figures carved into them. Once a patient goes through and closes the doors behind them, they would hear a distinct clicking sound that indicates that the door has locked itself.
Hall of Armor: This hall is well-lighted due to lanterns that hang from the ceiling which seem to swing back and forth on their own (and make creaking noises as they do). The walls are made of a smooth, light brown stone, but the patients will probably be more concerned with the nine suits of armor that run along them. While the armor is impressive in the fact that each one is unique, with styles ranging from medieval to something more along the lines of a samurai, what is most important is what each suit of armor is holding. The armor stays in place no matter what, and none of it can be taken, but some of them are wielding different assortments of weapons which can be taken and used for the challenge that lies ahead. Strangely enough, there seems to be a weapon the fits the expertise of each patient that enters the room, even more modern things like guns. In fact, that style of the armor and the types of weapons that are in the hall seem to be different depending on which patients are entering the room at that time. No matter what, though, all of the weapons are amazingly well-crafted, ornate, and beautiful to look at, but most of them seem to be coated with dried blood. However, once one patient grabs a weapon and proceeds through the door at the end of the hall, all the other weapons suddenly disappear...
The Labyrinth: As if exploring the institute wasn't hard enough before, the labyrinth takes getting lost to a whole new level. While it might seem simple enough to patients upon first entering, it quickly gets more than complicated enough for even the best of navigators. The visibility in the maze isn't very good, which makes it feel as if the room has no boundaries and might go on forever. The walls, which reach straight from the ground to the ceiling, are made of gray-colored stone. While the walls might seem to have taken some beatings in the past, there doesn't seem to be any way to break through them, which means that patients have to get through the hard way. Yet another chilling thing about the labyrinth is how enclosed and quiet it is. The silence might ease patients into a false sense of security, but there is always the chance that something is lurking around the next corner. (Note: Assume that any solid lines on the map are walls which the patients wouldn't be able to get under, over, or through in any way.)
Orange Doors: Made of the same white marble as the ballroom's pillars, images of celebrating angels are carved all over these double-doors. The feeling one would get from looking at them would be of victory, but these doors would be unable to open initially. There are two indentations on them, where it appears items must be placed.
Purple Doors: Huge, ominous double-doors that are made of black stone with studs going along the edges. They don't seem to be as well-made or stylistic as the other doors found in the basement, as they are rather plain and have no images emblazoned on them, but they seem to be unable to be budged-until the rest of the basement's secrets are explored, that is.
Red Doors: These double-doors seem to be the complete opposite of the orange door, made of rough black stone. Instead of angels, it depicts demons with bat wings who seem to be the real winners of some untold war. Even though the demons seem to be celebrating, the general feeling it gives off is one of dread. This is compounded by the fact that a carved snake head sticks directly out of the middle of the two doors. Its jaw is wide open and it has two large, pointed fangs which hang down. Carved above it into the doors is this message: “Only those two who offer their blood will be allowed entrance.” The message would be near-impossible to see without some sort of light source, since the south hall is so dark. Once two patients offer one drop of blood each by pricking their fingers on the two fangs, all patients present in the hallway black out... (Contact the mods for details for what happens after this.)
Room of Air: Considering the patients would have just come from the Room of Earth, this room is a jarring change. There is a quiet calmness about it - in fact, it seems to be completely silent. The problem is that it is completely covered in thick fog, to the point that a patient wouldn't be able to see even a foot in front of them. (They would also most likely end up slightly damp from it by the time they got through.) This means there's no way to know where the walls or the ceiling are. All patients have to do is get across, but there are walls that they might run into and pit holes that they might fall into, as well as monsters that might be lurking beyond their vision.
Room of Earth: The first thing a patient would notice upon entering this room would be the noise-a loud, rumbling sound. The room's walls, which appear to have been sculpted out of red clay, slope up. There are rows of large holes near the ceiling which spit out large boulders that roll down the wall, across the floor, and then up to the corresponding hole on the other side of the room. While it's a straight shot across to the next door, the patients would have to rely on their timing to make sure they didn't get crushed by the boulders. It doesn't help that there isn't an exact timing, and the boulders seem to come rolling down sporadically. Being quick and having sharp senses seems to be a necessity to get through.
Room of Fire: While the temperature in this room might seem like a godsend after the Room of Water, it soon becomes unbearable as well. Most of the room's floor is covered with searing hot lava (except for either end), and there are only a few rather small floating platforms that patients will be forced to use to get across. They're spaced far enough apart that patients would have to jump to get from one to another. If too much weight is put on one platform, it might start to slowly sink. There are also gold gargoyle heads on the walls which periodically spit out flames that can stretch out to even the middle of the room. Patients will want to get through quickly, but they should be careful and take their time so they don't slip.
Room of Water: The entire room is made of ice, though it is constructed so that there are walls of it which weave around in a serpentine manner. This means that patients can't just walk right across - it's more like a hall of mirrors, and almost as confusing, since the ice happens to be reflective. A lot of it is jagged as well, and since the floor is slippery, it would be easy for a patient to lose their balance and stumble into something sharp. There are also sizable icicles with hang from the ceiling and have a tendency to crack and plummet downward. It is, of course, extremely cold, and even the patients who were smart enough to wear coats will be shivering. To make matters worse, once patients get halfway through they're forced to cross a pond which is only covered by a thin layer of ice. If too many people get on it at once, or if someone doesn't step lightly enough, the ice will crack and the patient(s) will be submerged in freezing water. And it isn't exactly easy to pull yourself out when you fall in...
Silver Doors: While these would look like the green doors, they usually aren't visible. If a patient was in the Grand Ballroom, there wouldn't be any sign of these doors, even though they are marked on the map. But if a patient finishes going through the labyrinth, the weapons range, or the four elemental rooms, the door would be there to lead them back out into the ballroom. However, once they had exited, were they to look behind them, the door would no longer be there...
The Sphinx's Chamber: There is a certain warmth and ambiance to the room, most likely caused by the gold sheen of the walls and the low ceiling. However, any comfort that might be felt upon entering is usually crushed once the main point of the room is noticed. The sphinx, large and imposing, is settled impressively on a raised, ornate pedestal which is carved with symbols of the creature itself. Its tail tends to twitch back and forth as its piercing, unnervingly human eyes consider its visitors. While the sphinx could be considered another monster of the institute, it is one of a kind and never leaves its lair. It also is one of the only monsters that actually speaks, and its intelligence should be feared more than its claws. However, if a patient decides to answer one of the sphinx's riddles and gets it wrong, there are bound to be consequences...
Weapons Range: This room, unlike much of the basement, is very well-lit, with a ceiling that would seem as if it was made of skylights to a person who had forgotten where the room was. A patient who had just entered with a weapon in hand from the Hall of Armor would be immediately able to tell what the purpose of the room is: A test meant for the wielder of the first weapon taken through the green door. (See the Hall of Armor room description.) The weapons range tends to shift depending on what weapon was brought through the door; if it needs to be an archery range, it will be so, and if it needs to contain moving dummies for sword-wielders, it will change to be that as well. (Contact the mods for the details of the test meant for your specific character's weapon.) Beware, however, for only true masters of their weapons will be able to fulfill this room's demands, and while the weapons will flash and then disappear for those succeed, for those who fail, the weapons have a much worse fate in store...