[elevator] [sphinx]

[guillotineroom]

[ When you open your eyes again the first thing that you, and your teammates, may notice is that you are confined within an iron cage, rectangle in shape. Further inspection will reveal that outside of the cage is a large structure of sorts, reaching far above you. It kind of looks like an unfinished clock tower, really... there are spots that look finished and bolted tightly, and others that look like they had been left once and the work never thought of again.

Also, it's pretty chilly. You might get to notice that.

It's foggy and windy—the kind of wind that howls and roars, jostling your cage against the tall shaft, and every so often you feel as though you might have had the ghost of a raindrop on you. The tower-like build creaks horribly ominously in the wind, and you can see the rusted metals swaying slightly. But if you decide to look around...

Flapping above you (and not helping with the wind) is a harpy-like creature, iron chains wrapped around their talons. Though, maybe it's more like a lion? The chains are bolted to the top of your cage. There are also little indicators on the structure, the same distance apart, that seem to be declaring different levels or heights. They look horribly unhappy to be here, but they're also impressive at ignoring any call you might have for them.

There's a door to the cage, but it won't open, even if it's just a simple-looking locking mechanism. If you peer out, it's too foggy on the ground to make out very much, but you can make out nine other, tower-like structures with similarly flapping harpies. Each one, including your own, has an emblazoned emblem of every team's patron monster, so that you can see where everyone is—it's just difficult to make out exactly who may be in each one. Even more difficult to try and communicate like this.

Attached to the door is an aged metal panel with a screen and four buttons; two to choose between the team names that appear on the dark green and black screen, and two to choose whether you wish for that team to go up or down.

After a moment, a little speaker in the corner starts playing an incredibly bad quality version of this.]

Comments

[derailer]

I am unharmed.

[to the point]

[inklongdry]

That is good to hear. I suppose 'twas only a matter of time before we got swept into a game.

[derailer]

I would rather your first task together with Sphinx be... nearly anything else.

[inklongdry]

It was inevitable that something this... dire would come up. The timing hardly matters.

Whatever happens, we will simply have to see it through together.

[derailer]

...If we begin to climb too high, we will have to focus on saving ourselves. Is this an outlook you agree with?

[inklongdry]

Of course. There's nothing wrong with voting for ourselves to go lower if needs must. Why do you ask?

[derailer]

We all have different moral standards... I wanted to make sure.

[inklongdry]

In this, I think we are very much aligned. We need not throw ourselves upon the blade unnecessarily.

[derailer]

While it feels lonely, sometimes, without any formal alliance, I can at least feel more comfortable defending our own interests.

[inklongdry]

We're not formally allied with anyone, are we? Is that an avenue worth pursuing, you think?

[derailer]

I think the remaining member of the anti-alliance faction is...

[gestures towards Yu Junghyeok]

You may have to consult him about the matter.

But, my preference for an alliance would be Yatagarasu, who is already otherwise allied. Morally I could not accept prioritizing anyone consistently over them. So, perhaps it is for the best we are set up this way.