[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]

So... are you saying we should not?

[ambiography]

It's still possible someone's going to pick Unicorn, and even if we can only do so much there... as it stands, one will do it.

[derailer]

...

[It feels like he should have something to say, to argue his case, but no words come out of his mouth for a while. Finally he manages:]

I think they will probably lower themselves...

[ambiography]

You'd really think so, yes. They should, but I don't know enough of them to say they will.

[derailer]

Captain Cyllene... is a practical person.

[ambiography]

You're familiar with her? She did certainly give me that impression, when we met.

[derailer]

I knew her from before I came to this place.

[ambiography]

...You're separated from multiple people here, then.

Whether we decide on her team or not, then I'll hope she talks sense into them if she needs to.

[derailer]

[He is trying very hard to remain conversational, but is clearly cracking around the edges.]

No one else is considering lowering Sphinx even for a moment, are they...?

[ambiography]

I'm not opposed to it. I think it makes just as much sense to lower ourselves as anyone else at our level, but at that point, it just... it comes down to whether we want to improve our own standing knowing it could leave someone else worse off.

I can't say I particularly want to risk dying this way, myself, but I'll accept the risk if it's what we need to do.

[derailer]

"Need to"...

[He repeats this with skepticism, but glances over at Arthur—that at least seems to be a decision being made with similar desperate emotion, and, probably Sphinx won't die... probably... so, it's fine, right? Right?! Maybe someone else out there wants to lower them?!

He nods vaguely.]

I see.

[ambiography]

I won't lie, I am a little wary of where we're going to end up if we choose another team. It'd make sense for all of us to just pick ourselves, this time. But doing that in this situation doesn't exactly change anything.

[derailer]

I...

I think I have to... stop participating in the group discussion now.

[He slowly sinks down to the ground.]

[ambiography]

...we won't force you to. Hopefully we'll have this sorted out sooner than later.

[it's already bad, probably best to decide something before it's worse.]

[derailer]

Of course.

[He shifts around so that he is facing out of the cage, hoping the high collar on his jacket can help hide his face.]