[Auto Exam] [Y2->Y3] Wandering Witch (Shine)

[Nothing Yet]

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!


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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."  

[Nothing Yet]

As much as Shine disliked being touched without her permission, it was scary to wake up somewhere that she hadn't gone to sleep. It mean that someone must have moved her somehow, and she hugged her arms around her chest, swaying back and forth as her wide eyes searched for some explanation.

The professor certainly could have offered this explanation, had the sudden sound of his voice not startled her - and, in a panic, she bolted off into the maze without comprehending any part of what was happening.

Steps: 5

Quote:

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...

 

[Nothing Yet]

When she finally slowed down, it wasn't by her own choice. The feeling wasn't all that unfamiliar - she often got worn down after going into a frenzy - but Shine knew it wasn't her fault this time. That was an uncomfortable feeling, and she began to shuffle through the maze at a more reasonable pace, her panicked eyes searching for any escape.

Steps: 10

Quote:

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.

 

[Nothing Yet]

Maybe she'd been looking too hard. Her eyes began to hurt, and she felt awfully queasy.

This wasn't something she was good at. She wished that Gabby was here to help lead her through. He was a strong dragon and a special kind of special friend like none she'd had before, and he always knew how to help.

Or maybe Aymet, she thought, as the world felt so large around her. The one who brought her along on his journeys of this sort, where she'd found a medal that helped her be strong and a thing that really made her shine.

Steps: 21

Quote:

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.

 

[Nothing Yet]

Or Nahm, who gave her comfort and understood her. He always explained things in helpful ways, and always knew how to find what she wanted without letting her feel afraid.

Steps: 24  

[Nothing Yet]

Or Mikey, who helped her feel wanted, whose music and affection gave her tingly feelings in her chest that reminded her of the candy that fizzed and popped when left to sit in her mouth.

Steps: 36 woah there Shine

Quote:

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...

 

[Nothing Yet]

There was something that looked like an exit up ahead, and though Shine was tentative, she accepted all of the tiny amount of relief that she felt at the moment.

As it turned out, she was right to be hesitant. The moment that she passed through the door, there she was. Everything that frightened her about herself, staring right back at her.

And she began to cry.

HP: 38/40
Shadow Self: 44/50  

[Nothing Yet]

The Shadow-Shine didn't speak to her at all, but Shine could still hear it. She imagined all the things that it might say, and it only made her cry harder and harder, until she had descended into a wailing mess of a thing.

HP: 33/40
Shadow Self: 41/50  

[Nothing Yet]

But she was a witch, and for a witch zombie, being upset was not necessarily the worst thing that could happen. She despised having to be scared and miserable just to be strong, but it meant that in times like this, she was capable of saving herself.

She rushed blindly towards the shadow, screeching in frustration at this entire situation, claws digging into the unsatisfying lack of substance that the thing provided. Still, she tore into it as though it were a more corporeal thing, her sobs becoming more angry and shrill as she did her very best to shred it to pieces.

HP: 31/40
Shadow Self: 24/50
Damage: 17  

[Nothing Yet]

Very little consciousness remained as Shine continued to try to rip the shadow apart. She was consumed by the desire to claw it open until its insides were exposed and bare, until it felt as much hurt and vulnerability as she did. She wasn't going to stop until she made it feel like she felt, and at the moment, what she felt was indescribably horrible.

HP: 29/40
Shadow Self: 17/50
Damage: 7  

[Nothing Yet]

Eventually, her energy began to wane, and she began to calm. The shadow seemed weaker now, more pale perhaps, but she'd done nothing to turn it into the mess that she had hoped to. She didn't stop, didn't even consider that she might need to stop - this shadow needed to die, and nothing would change her mind on that.

HP: 27/40
Shadow Self: 9/50
Damage: 8  

[Nothing Yet]

Whoever brought her here had not been kind enough to leave some sugar with her. She was beginning to get tired and sluggish, and even yawned in the middle of one of her attacks. It was not her most effective of strikes, but it still managed to hit it nonetheless.

Some amount of clarity had begun to return to her in this state, but all she could think about was how badly she wanted sugar. Any sort of candy. Why had she not brought some to bed? In a desperate attempt to find an emergency stash, she combed her claws through her hair, letting out a sad whine as she found nothing stuck there.

Naturally, she began to cry again.

HP: 25/40
Shadow Self: 7/50
Damage: 2  

[Nothing Yet]

When the shadow finally went away and Shine found herself freed from the maze, she had to proceed through the blur of constant tears.

They didn't stop even as the professor handed her the bit of parchment that allowed her to officially move to Hob level, and continued all the way back to her room, where she curled around a large lollipop, pressed her face to it, and fell back to sleep again.

HP: 23/40
Shadow Self: 0/50
Damage: 9