WEEK 0 — ARRIVAL

[cartesio]

Week 0: Arrival

When you wake up you immediately feel something’s off. You sit on the bed and find it’s not your bed, and this isn’t your room either. You seem to be in a rather normal-looking motel room. To your side there’s a trunk, if you open it you’ll find a military uniform, the key to your room, a set of rules and a debit card. Don’t lose those items! Or do lose the rules, you'll find a brand new copy the next day under your pillow. There’s also a calendar on the wall, you can see today’s date. The year is unreadable, but the month and day are very clear:

March 28^th
There it says ‘Meet the Sergeant at the Lodge, 9:00 AM’. There’s also a circle around March 31st, with the word ‘END’ scrawled there.

For now leaving your motel room would be a good choice. When you reach the lobby, you see the receptionist’s desk— no one’s manning it. There’s a rack filled with maps, marking several locations in the town.

There are also many strangers here – and you’re one more. For now it may be a good idea to take a map and explore the town.

After all, looks like you’re stuck here in the boonies for a while.

Links

IC Rules
Room Assignments
Locations
Tasks (LOCKED currently)

March 28^th
March 29^th
March 30^th

Comments

[londonstar]

[ waver listens to the Sergeant quietly, arms crossed and shoulders tense. unlike most others who are clearly angry, he understands, from a mages' view point, what this man is trying to say.

but what pisses him off the most is the reasoning behind it. ]

I don't need to prove my life's worth to you. [ the only man he needs to prove himself to is long gone; his king. ] However, you're a shitty excuse of a "hero" if you think that the "one life vs many lives" sermon is worth anything.

[cartesio]

You're, what, the sixth person to say you don't have to prove anything. At this rate this will end being a huge waste of time, and who will be the one to deal with the fallout?

[The Sergeant will. God, you're all so inconsiderate]

On the contrary, I have heard it's quite effective. Perhaps I wasn't convincing...that may be the problem...

[He trails off, thinking about that. Do you really want him to think of better arguments to convince you all kill each other, Waver?]

[londonstar]

I suppose you should have thought that before you made a ridiculous statement in front of everyone.

[ ha ha you're a loser.

that said, he remains silent at the sergeant's idea of being more convincing. part of him is certain that this man would be absolutely willing to do it. ]

If you're that bloodthirsty, you should do it yourself. Not force others, including children to be your unwilling pawns.

[cartesio]

I can't do it. I literally can't. [...] Okay, I suppose I can under certain circumstances, but the point is I can't just kill any of you. It's the rules.

[As if forcing everyone kill each other made any sense]

[londonstar]

Then you're saying that there's someone with a higher authority than yours.

[cartesio]

Indeed. But that's none of your concern.

You're not finding out before you run out of time, that much I can promise you.

[londonstar]

It sounds like you don't wish for us to find out either.

[ a pause ]

So who determined that it's one life or twenty-two lives? You? Or the real mastermind behind this?

[cartesio]

Oh, no, the one life part was my idea. I decided this. I judged that was the best bet on how to get someone to do what I ask.

After all, I only need one death. There are twenty-two of you. By sheer numbers that should mean someone among you will be tempted enough.

[And appealing to the risk of so many deaths seemed like the right move for that, apaprently]

[londonstar]

You don't need anything. You're simply following orders given to you from above.

[ a pause. ]

Nevertheless, what will this sacrifice be for? Human sacrifices are used for powerful rituals-- is that the case here?

[cartesio]

I was given the end goal. I have complete liberty on how to achieve it. If I say I need a death, then I need that death.

[And apparently getting a bunch of people and telling them to kill one among them was the way to do it -- according to him]

Something like that. The sacrifice that will be made here will be the start of something great -- of proportions beyond anything you can imagine, if things go well. I can't go into detail, but I assure you this is all worth it.

[londonstar]

If you only need someone to die, then do it yourself.

[ he even quirks an eyebrow when the sergeant says that whatever will happen is beyond his imagination. this has to be some sort of joke, right? ]

If you believe you can surprise me, then that suggests you didn't do a good enough investigation of our lives. I assure you, I am not easily surprised.