There's a strange sign taped to gnarled sapling growing between the monster dorms and the lake. It seems to be promising something that perhaps all of Amityville's classes should... but is this even a class?
Following the trail of arrows eventually leads you to a peaceful little patch of grass on the edges of campus. The ground is cold but free of snow, as the entire area is sheltered by a stand of thick evergreens. A largeish chest is nestled in the foliage, big enough to fit a couple of imps and some mud inside with room left over for wrestling. A stocky, middle-aged, undead werehyena stands nearby, his t-shirt advertising a band you've never heard of. A human band. Interesting. Or maybe he's just trying too hard.
"Hey!" he says cheerfully as the first students begin to arrive. "My little Amityville Achievers. Guess the rumors are true. School full of nerds. Always... doing s**t." He slaps his thigh, knocking something out of one of the pockets of his cargo shorts as he laughs. It looks like a slender golden brown blob, no bigger than his thumb, but he scoops it up again so quickly that you can't be sure.
"I've got a little project for you kids," he continues, rapping the lid of the box with his knuckles. He heads back over to where he was standing previously and picks up yet another sign from what looks like a pile of them, stabbing it into the ground as well.
This one reads...
It is, unsurprisingly, pointing at the box.
"Not yet though. I want to see if anyone else shows up before the fun starts. Cop a squat or chatter at each other or whatever you guys do for a while. I'll be over here."
Quote:
OOC TIME!
Hello and welcome! This is a field class that will span approximately five OOC days with a new round every 24-36 hours. You should plan to make at least one other post in a round besides this sign-up one to get credit, and if you want the maximum number of RP points you can receive, please write 800 words or more over the course of all of your posts. In addition, this class counts for Double Points week, so come on down if you want some of that.
If you are interested in signing up, paste this code at the bottom of your first post. Signups are open until the end of Round Two when another announcement will be made about them closing.
If you would like to speak to the instructor, quote me!
Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:19 am
Round One: The First Lock(s)
"Okay, kid." The werehyena reaches down to pat the imp on the head, then appears to think better of it, clapping his hands loudly instead. It wouldn't do to tell them they wouldn't be keeping any of what was inside, now would it? "He's right! It's time to get this show on the road." With one last look over his makeshift class, he announces, "I am Kenner Baehl. You can call me Kenner, Ken, Mr. Baehl if you're all proper, Professor Baehl if you're super fancy, or just Professor, even though I'm not one."
"Today we're going to..." He jabs a finger at the sign he planted in the grass earlier. "Open. This. As I said." Kenner smacks his meaty palm down onto the box, resulting in a resounding boom. "First up—eight padlocks. Each can be opened by turning or clicking or typing a number on it or in it or whatever. Easy." He stands back and waves at the locks. "Have at it. I'll help if you need."
"And you're still nerds."
Quote:
OOC TIME!
There are eight locks on this box, two on each side of the lid. They can't be broken, though you can try, and although ghosts with enough skill may try to phase their hands through, they can't get inside. It appears that they do, but all they feel is a void. Even when the last lock is the only one left and you would think you could just lift the lid and use the lock as a hinge, the box still remains tightly shut. Curious.
THIS IS A LIST YOU SHOULD READ
Each lock can be opened by a number between one and twenty. In each post, you may roll 5d20 to attempt to open any one lock. The numbers the class must roll are: 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 15, 19, and 20. You may only open one lock per post, no matter how many times you match these numbers in that post. You can only roll twice in a row before giving someone else a turn, but if you have other players to alternate with, you may continue trying to unlock things indefinitely. Each student may only open a total of three locks. If you have any OOC questions, PM me. Any IC ones, quote me.
Once a lock has been opened once, it is open for everyone. I will try to keep this post updated as to which locks have been opened, and when I go to bed I will link the last post I have checked so you can see whether more locks have been opened before you post.
If I'm not here when you're done, just wait around a bit. If you don't open all of the locks by January 16th at noon EST (approximately 26 hours from now), Kenner will assist.
Happy unlocking!
Locks posted in red still need unlocking! 3 4 9 10 11 15 19 20
Done!
Smerdle Crew
Scamp
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Smerdle Crew
Scamp
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:20 am
Round Two: Codebreaking
"Ve-he-he-ry good, everyone! Quicker than I thought, too." Kenner smiles to himself, then lifts off the box's lid. Its first lid. There's another inside, though you can't see it properly until he removes the rumpled pieces of paper that sit on top of it. In its center there is a keypad with twenty-six strange symbols on it.
The hyena sighs. "Codebreaking. Takes me back." He claps his hands loudly. Again. "Welp, you know what to do. And if you don't, you'd better learn." As he starts to walk away, he looks down at the papers in his hands, now even more rumpled after being at the center of a clap. "Oh yeah, you'll probably need this. And this."
Quote:
OOC TIME!
You must decrypt the substitution code and punch the password into the keypad to continue. Even if you choose to figure out the code by yourself, please do try to arrive at the answer ICly as a group. If your character wouldn't share the glory, at least wait until some other characters have shared their thoughts before jumping in to save the day.
Even if your character is a bit of a dumbass, Kenner hasn't forbidden you from taking a picture of the encrypted password and hint and sending it to a smarter friend or anything, so feel free to use that as an excuse to make them smarter than they are. You may do anything to solve this ICly that you like, within reason, so be creative!
When you have figured out the code, have one player attempt to type it in. Post it in BOLD RED as they're typing it or at the bottom of your post just like you did with the locks because that was lovely.
Please don't fight to be the first to post the answer. You get nothing extra if you do, and this class is all about collaboration anyway.
Have fun!
This round will last until January 17th at approximately 3pm EST or someone opens the lock, whichever comes first.
Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:21 am
Round Three: What...
Kenner nods his head and grins, clearly pleased with their performance. "All right, everybody stand back and..." He leans forward and turns the face of the unlocked keypad a quarter turn to the right, lifting the second lid off of the inner box when it comes free. A little bag sits right inside, but he promptly confiscates it before anyone else can open it. He mutters something about "them" sending "the deluxe edition," but he's all smiles again soon enough. He lifts several strange bracelet-sized rings from the box and places them on the ground. Eight of them, to be exact. When they are all scattered around the area, Kenner stands back and addresses the class again.
"These," he says, gesturing at the rings, "must be stacked in there on top of that."
If you look inside the box, you can see a cylindrical depression, just large enough to fit all eight rings in a pile. This first ring is already in place, but it isn't terribly fancy like the others.
"If you put 'em in the right way..." Kenner spreads his fingers, mimicking an explosion. Does that mean the box will explode? He doesn't say.
"Chop chop. I'm sure you've all got slam books to write in."
Quote:
OOC TIME!
In this final round, you must open one last lock. This one technically requires an image editing program, but if you're really into wasting paper and have a color printer and a very strong light table, you can do it that way as well. Don't worry if you can't do anything ICly, just play with some rings or something. XD
You must line these up ( x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x ) in such a way that they unlock the box. That's it! When you're done, one person can post an image of the repositioned rings.
This round will last until January 18th at around 2pm or until someone opens the lock, whichever comes first.
ALSO...
That little bag is awfully strange, right? What could possibly be inside it?
...
What if a bunch of these were in there? What. If.
The minipet you will be receiving for this class has not yet been named. If you would like to take a stab at naming it, please post your naming attempt at the bottom of one of your posts sometime during this round. The name will be chosen by raffle near the end of class.
Smerdle Crew
Scamp
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Smerdle Crew
Scamp
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:25 am
The End!
As the last ring slides into place there is a faint ringing sound, like an old dirty bell that has been shaken once. Kenner seems thoroughly disinterested in the proceedings, having wandered away from the area, but he circles back as the box finally stirs.
The stack of rings begins to rise, followed by the entire center of what remains of the box. It wobbles. It creaks. Eventually the telescoping layers reach a height that tops the original lid.
A faint gurgle is the only warning any nearby students have. The top of the spire pops loudly, releasing a shower of confetti and bright orange flags that read:
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE UNLOCKED AN OFFICIAL GUNTHER & GUNTHER JUNIOR EXPLORERS' PUZZLE BOX!
"Well, there you have it," Kenner says, clapping TG on the back and giving Canon a thoroughly obnoxious fingergun.
"You should all feel like you've done something really awesome here today. Come here and get one of these for your trouble." He holds up the little pouch he grabbed earlier. "And then go on and do whatever it is you guys do around here. Class... dismissed."
Quote:
OOC TIME!
All done! The box is disappointingly empty, but at least you got a flag and a weird looking aqua seed.
Thank you for attending!
Please post your minisite username as you leave.
Quote:
Points! You may claim 1 RP point if you signed up for class, another if you posted in any additional round, and a third if you wrote over 800 words. You may also double your points if you haven't already earned 15 during double points week.
Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 10:28 am
Attendees Levi Ala Aedan Jack Tomoko Canon TG Arachne West Serafina Marosa
Just out of her way of the dorms, Levi was heading over to engage in some fine fishing when she saw them; unusual signs. Those weren't normally there as far as she knew, and the tatzelwurm ghoul had left this way rather frequently in search of fresh fish to pack away when she felt a bit peckish. Seems there was something happening here that wasn't all that ordinary. Levi followed the arrows that lead in one direction to a clearing, tail swaying side to side while she considered what this was all about. The man was new to her. What was he doing here? Was he part of the school staff? Was he one of those gosh darn reporters?
No, he wanted help with something; not an interview. If by calling them nerds he'd meant they were really smart, Levi felt it proper to smile back at him like she agreed. Why yes, she was smart.
With a well puffed up pride, the ghoul watched the man place up a new sign, reading it and looking back over at the chest. With a nod, she slouched back, letting herself be caught by her tail, sitting on it like it was her own portable chair.
TEACH ME
Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 11:33 pm
Ala supposed she should attempt to attend a class. On the one hand, it sounded a lot like effort. On the other hand, she didn't want to get kicked out already. there was so much havoc to wreak, so many others dragons to meet and boss around. Or other boils and ghouls to boss around, too, for that matter.
Well.
The Wyrm squinted at the signs, a little suspicious. This was a class, a trap, or both.
Either way, she figured she'd stick around and see. All else fails, Ala was pretty sure she ran faster than most.
Making a face, Aedan followed the signs that promised...useful skills. He could use all the potential help he could get, he supposed.
But, the signs didn't exactly look...official. Shrugging, he pressed on, following the red arrows until he reached..well, it wasn't a real classroom, that was for sure. But, there were other students present, so at least if it turned out to be some sort of prank or...something more sinister, he wasn't alone in falling for it.
Looking around again, to see if he'd missed chairs...or desks, or really any obvious objects to sit on, he made a face before sitting on the ground, making himself comfortable.
TEACH ME
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:08 am
Jack loved the word marketable.
It went along with money, shiny and self-funded. Pretty much the sacred words he used to keep himself afloat as a youth, so it was almost natural that he was intrigued enough by all the little signs to be pulled in to the small group that had come around the box with the strange sign that said "Open This" . . . but not now. Curiosity killed the cat, he heard once. He also had been told satisfaction brought it back, so hopefully this would be satisfying.
Snorting lightly, not being a fan of the waiting game, he decided that he was a patient creature, tail flicking lazily behind him as he placed his chin in a hand, watching and waiting for something either interesting or exciting to happen. If anything, it would kill time, right? TEACH ME
Signs. Signs everywhere. Sometimes signs were things you didn't follow. Sometimes, one had to try and be curious and just follow them anyways.
Tomoko was the type to force curiosity upon herself, sneaking along the series of signs and looking at the ground curiously - probably for traps. One never knew if there would be traps or not.
However, all there was, was a box.
A box that Tomoko sat down in a crouched position, chin on her knees to stare at curiously. Hmmmm...
TEACH ME
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:20 pm
Red arrows. Lots of them. Lots of red. All beckoning to an impressionable young Skark to follow, follow them. Canon never had a chance. The ghoul happily jogged along the path denoted by the signs.
They led to several other students, an adult, and one large sign commanding that she open a box. However, the other students weren't opening the box, though they were studying it. Canon joined them, crouching down and inching her way around the box, attempting to figure out what was so special about it.
TEACH ME
Zee Oddwyn
Tenacious Bookworm
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MoonKitsune Crew
Romantic Exhibitionist
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Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:36 pm
It was hard to resist a sign that advertised "marketable" skills, which meant skills that you could use to make money - or so TG felt it was. Rubbing his claws together, he thought that this at least promised to be a enterprising class, and was saddened to see it was outside. It was TOO COLD for this jackin class to be outside. However, there was a big box. A box big enough to fit a couple of imps and some mud inside with room left over for wrestling. TG invisioned a set of very busty imps already slipping and slidding inside but among a mound of silver seeds instead. Then again, he usually looked at most containers this way.
Despite the sign to open it, he was informed he couldn't. "What the! Why should we wait? I don't want to split whatever it is with more people." He huffed, moving up to stand a full 2 1/2 feet in front of the werehyena.
"I'm not a nerd either. Just let us open it, you dork!"
TEACH ME
Smerdle
Negotiating done right.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 6:52 am
Round One: The First Lock(s)
"Okay, kid." The werehyena reaches down to pat the imp on the head, then appears to think better of it, clapping his hands loudly instead. It wouldn't do to tell them they wouldn't be keeping any of what was inside, now would it? "He's right! It's time to get this show on the road." With one last look over his makeshift class, he announces, "I am Kenner Baehl. You can call me Kenner, Ken, Mr. Baehl if you're all proper, Professor Baehl if you're super fancy, or just Professor, even though I'm not one."
"Today we're going to..." He jabs a finger at the sign he planted in the grass earlier. "Open. This. As I said." Kenner smacks his meaty palm down onto the box, resulting in a resounding boom. "First up—eight padlocks. Each can be opened by turning or clicking or typing a number on it or in it or whatever. Easy." He stands back and waves at the locks. "Have at it. I'll help if you need."
Arachne had followed the red painted signs with not a little trepidation; last time she had followed signs she had wound up in that cave with all the bubbles. At least this time there didn't seem to be any cave, indeed it actually seemed to be a class, one open to new sign-ups at that.
Taking a break from her awful attempts at improving her First Aid skill aside, she saw that there were other students, and although it lacked walls, chairs or even desks, it did seem that they were likely to learn something.
She went over to where everyone was gathered, peering around them at the box and then glanced over what she gathered was the Professor, though she'd only caught the tail end of what he was saying as she had approached.
