|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:30 pm
 
Comes the greeting of a boy dressed mysteriously as a gypsy in the middle of the hallway. The section of the hallway behind him has been blocked off with heavy drapes that hang from high ceiling to polished floor. He extends an invitation to you with an enigmatic smile.
That at the eastern extremity was hung, for example, in blue — and vividly blue were its windows. The second chamber was purple in its ornaments and tapestries, and here the panes were purple. The third was green throughout, and so were the casements. The fourth was furnished and lighted with orange — the fifth with white — the sixth with violet. The seventh apartment was closely shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. But in this chamber only, the color of the windows failed to correspond with the decorations. The panes here were scarlet — a deep blood color.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:36 pm
As you enter the first chamber, all is dark. You can only vaguely make things out ...
There seems to be a long row of windows at the far end, each colored in varying shades of blue. There are no curtains, but somehow the light from them is muted, diffused. A kind of misty fog fills the air - smelling of an incense it's difficult to identify.
Suddenly, you realize there is soft music playing ... and that it has been playing since you entered, only now it is starting to get loud enough to be something more than a whisper of background noise.
Hard upon the heels of this realization lights begin to come on ... and before your eyes ... there is a show filled with wonder...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:41 pm
 The Host of the Chamber of Wonder After the show is over a boy walks out of the mist. He's wearing something that resembles a ringleader's costume, complete with tailed coat and top hat. Smiling and tipping his hat, he asks, "Did you enjoy the show?"
Listening to your response, he nods, rocking back on heels a little. "Aah, but did you notice there were, perhaps a few things ... out of place? Maybe differently colored than others..?" There is a slight pause, and he smiles secretively. "Maybe you could go back and find them for me ... they contain a secret message....."
And with that, he is gone, retreating into the mist as the lights dim again ... preparing for the next show to begin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:45 pm
 The Chamber into which you step next is quiet and still. Unlike the wild and stunning opulence of the room before, here the deckings are simple, austere, elegant. The furniture is mathematically perfect, smooth and polished from Amethyst stone. Each of the crystaline tables and chairs reflect the purple light from the windows and seem to glow from some internal blaze. The polished marble floor is draped with deep plum rugs embroidered with silvery threads that in this skewed light seem to glow like the amethyst chairs upon them.
Here the purple-paned glass windows are hung with long lengths of shimmering organza, semi-transparent and sparkling with light. The walls are polished marble, and otherwise bare and clean, reflecting the light in their stoney veins, proud and beautiful. Tall, ornate candelabras rise from the floor, their crisp lines of painted wrought iron and suspended purple glass stalactites each supporting a plum-coloured votive candle, each casting an additional glow to the sparkling room.
In the centre of the room sits a fluttering moth of immense size, its long purple wings sparkling with moth-dust, its antenna waving like feathers tickled by a lover's breath. But as the moth rises and turns, his long shimmering costume sweeping over the woven carpets at his feet, you see it is in fact your host of this Beautiful Chamber.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:46 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:51 pm
 Once past the haunting beauty of the purple chamber, the doors swing out to beckon you forward, a bright cheery green glow alluding to a happy and soft-spoken world. As you turn the corner, your gaze falls upon a room of richest green, set a glow by the sunlight streaming through the tinted windows. In the center of the room rests a large feasting table, covered in platter after platter of food but you are unable to tell what their contents hold. It’s as if the room has held in waiting – for a guest perhaps? Maybe even you. Curious, you take a seat before one of the carefully laid out place settings, the silver forks and spoons intricately crafted. A fine feast indeed, fit for a king.
Once you’ve settled, the room darkens a little, as though something had flitted past the arching viridian window. Pausing, a sense of something being not quite right curls about you but you shrug it off. This is a bountiful feast, laid in honour of those visiting guests. As if on cue to your thoughts, the covers that hid the plates and bowls and glasses fade away as though they had been nothing more then illusion.
At first, the savory smells of a well-cooked meal tantalize you, make you hungry and perhaps a little anxious to get started. Then, a shiver runs down your spine as the shapes of your meal become apparent. There, thinly sliced meat is laid out delicately before it’s source, the leg of not an animal but a person. Blinking, your stomach contracts as the appetizing becomes the appalling. All about you, served just like a traditional feast, were cuts of meat from disembodied limbs… finger foods, eyeballs floating in the punch, and, the crowning piece of the spread – a severed head set in a bed of leaves with a plum arranged in the mouth; a cruel parody of the way pig’s head was once served at feasts.
Appalled, you rise and back away, disgusted that you had thought the smells that had assailed you heralded a fantastic meal. The room flickers once more and this time you turn to look only to face an elaborate set-up. How had you missed this… this laboratory? Your eyes go wide with surprise or fear or perhaps something else entirely as your gaze follows the twisting tubes and quietly bubbling flasks…. The hooks of meat, pans of mysterious fluids… it’s enough to make your stomach flip flop. Clearly this is the place of preparation.
But if that is the case then where is the coo- no, you shake your head this cannot be the work of a cook. More the crazed result of a butcher. Either way, this place reeks of ill omen and you turn to hurry on, hoping that the next room will offer sanctuary from this place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:59 pm
  The Host of the Chamber of the Terrible
However, as you turn to leave, a figure steps up blocking your path. Her features are obscured by her goggles and what visible skin there is is flecked with a dark fluid which you immediately assume is blood. Stepping back, you watch her warily as she reaches into a glass jar and withdraws what appears to be another eyeball. Squishing it experimentally, she smiles then pops the thing into her mouth. A moment later, she swallows. Only then does she speak to you, “Why the rush? Sit down and stay a while, all the best had been prepared for you. Won’t you try some?” There’s something casual in her speech that soothes you can you take a step forward, eyeing the jar, “Oh this? They’re really good. Made them myself.”
Made them? How can you make such things? This makes you shiver once more as she wiggles the jar at you, smiling. “There’s not much to it, if you want to stay and learn.” She gestures out over the feast, “And, if you stay long enough I might teach you how to prepare all of that.” Her tone is cheerful, sorely misplaced in this room of terrible illusions.
“Come, at least watch?” She asks, tilting her head as she bites into another eyeball. The thick fluid that oozes out forces you to turn your gaze away but the sugary sweet smell that rises from that morsel gives you pause. “See now, not so bad! You’ll learn to love it!”
Moving past you, she sets the jar of eyeballs on the counter of the ‘kitchen’ and moves behind it, tapping the counter for a moment as she looks things over. “Now then…”
This is your chance to leave if you wish, while she’s preoccupied with her ‘cooking’.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:00 pm
...........After the next set of sliding doors, a brilliant glow akin to fire envelopes you. After the darker hues of the preceding Chambers, it takes you a moment to clear your vision............When your eyes adjust, you see before you an opulent room, draped from ceiling to floor in fiery orange. Rich, heavy, expensive orange and gold-thread brocade spans the walls, filling the space with texture and light. Even the ceiling has been padded with a quilted collection of plush orange velvet pillows............From the center of the ceiling hangs a chandelier. But instead of candles or lights adorning its copper limbs, small circular mirrors deck the curves of the chandelier catching the light from the orange-paned windows on either side and reflecting that flicker in a myriad of dancing beams of light............Around the edges of the Chamber small copper tables with glass tops have been set up. While their sizes and shapes are completely irregular, and their limbs often spiral off like the tendrils of squash, none of them has a top longer or wider than four feet. Their arrangement seems to be random, some clustered together, others with wide gaps between. Moreover, there are no chairs in this place, merely firm orange ottomans with golden cord spiraling out from their tops as if they too were pumpkins growing up from the plush carpeted floor. ...........Everywhere in this place, the pungent aromas of allspice, clove, black pepper, sandlewood, cinnamon and nutmeg mingle to create a rich, heady scent almost enough to burn the nostrils and make the mouth water. It is warmth in fragrance form.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:01 pm
  The Host of the Chamber of the Bizarre
In the centre of the room, sitting on a bright orange tarp is a short, squat, curious looking boy. Surely this young thing cannot be your host?
"Hallo!" The youngster pipes up, the fake golden tendrils hanging from his pumpkin hap bobbing about his face. "And Happy All Hallow's Eve!" He grins broadly, a crescent of white in an otherwise ruddy face. "Welcome to the Chamber of the Bizarre!" The boy makes a queer voice and wiggles his hands as if to imply mystery. Ah, so he is your Host. How Bizarre indeed. "It's the Orange room," he adds quite bluntly, as if this were not readily apparent.
Should you stay in these bizarre environs where everything is plump, twisting, asymmetrical, and so...very...orange? You look again at the little Host with his pumpkin hat and shimmery genie pants and small curled booties and mirror-embroidered vest. Should you stay indeed.
"Come carve a Jack-O-Lantern!" The little one cries, throwing his arms wide in an inviting gesture. "We gots lots of Pumpkins that will be sad this Hallowe'en if they don't have faces to scare away the ghosties!" You look down on that orange tarp and sure enough, there are a number of plump pumpkins that camoflauged so well into the environs you had not even noticed them.
"Here!" Your host chirps, lifting a good sized pumpkin with ease and thrusting it into your arms. "It's really easy!" He claims, pointing to one he'd apparently made himself before you'd arrived.
Cyphr's Jack-O-Lantern Carving Centre!
So, how do you play? Take a pumpkin, how about this one below?
Save it to your computer, and then open it with your favourite art program. It doesn't matter if you haven't got any art skills. They say people who aren't art inclined are math inclined, and what's Jack-O-Lantern carving but the use of geometric shapes, eh?
So, say you open it in MS Paint. Take your shape drawing tool in black, and draw on your eyes, nose and mouth. Triangles work well for eyes and noses, circles work well for mouths. It you're really adventurous you can use the pen tool to draw your own free structure face!
Then, use the text tool to type in your name where it says Carved by:
or, you can use the pen tool to sign your name for a bit more of a personal touch.
Voila! It's already certed, so you can post it up to display your Jack-O-Lantern and scare away those evil spirits!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:04 pm
 The soft crackling hiss of ice greets you as you step into the room, which is brilliantly white, misty and crystalline. There is a bone-stroking chill in the air, enough to bring about the shivers and make one feel as though they've stepped into a realm of death and silence. There are candles placed about the room sporadically, making things reflective and either bright or dim, depending on where one stood.
There is ice every where, covering the windows with crystal and misting them so there is no way to see out. Crystal tables and goblets rested in random areas in a maze of ice statues - centaurs, and griffins, and satyrs, lions, foxes, boars, stags... All manner of beings frozen forever in an icy prison, and there are several empty places for more statues to fit... It would be easy to bump into a statue, with the lingering fog and the draping, swirling curtains of white silk and linen...
Upon each table, at each sitting place, is a quill, a small vial of ink, and a piece of paper, as well as a candle for proper light, clearly expectant. But for what?
"Welcome," comes a smooth and sudden voice, lilting and echoing about the snowy chamber. It seems to be bell-like, reflecting and echoing in the icicles which dangled from the ceiling.
A being steps into view from seemingly no where, cloaked in white and masked as such as well, watching you from behind the misty eyes of its mask. A casual, disturbingly calm smile curls on blue lips. "Why don't you stay a while? The chill is not so bad, once your shivers stop and your breath stops misting so much..."
Now laughter echoed, and the frigid creature stepped away into the swirling, icy fog, spinning lightly as he did so. "Come hither, my sweethearts, come hither and play my game, and if you please me, I shall perhaps let you go!"
Silence settles again, but the being is there, somewhere, lurking about and dancing, dancing, waiting for you to do as he pleases or waiting to strike if you opt to refuse... Or will he? He is there, somewhere, and it's your choice to either stay and play or try and flee into the icy white in hopes of finding a proper exit.
What will you do?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:05 pm
 The Host of the Chamber of Fantasy
As you have noted previously, there are quills, and ink, and paper at the tables scattered about the room, chilled, but clearly waiting to be warmed by a writing hand.
The task is quite simple, and if you complete it, you shall be able to leave without hindrance by the being lurking in the mists, watching you with misty eyes and waiting with icy claws.
He wishes for stories, for a tale written in your own hand, simple and sweet. He gives you a prompt and a beginning and hopes for the best, the words written in icy blue, and promises a gift to all of those who enter, other than safe passage.
Here is your beginning...The house has always lurked on the hill over your home town, a dangerous place and an eerie fright for all of those who looked upon it, be it during the day or night. But by some twist of fate, you have to go there. Why do you have to go? Do you go? What do you find?
Keep it as short or as long as you want...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:08 pm
 Through the doors, you enter a world softer than those that preceeded it. Here everything has a rosy, warm tint, all decked and dressed in violet. The walls have been painted pastel fuscia, and pink-framed pictures have been hung from the walls, each bearing a glowing hologram of imps and faeries.
A lacey crochéd carpet of deep violet adorns the floor and to one side a pink dollhouse has been set up, complete with a tiny table with a little tea party for six set up for a pair of pretty little porcelain dolls, two teddies in flowery hats, a goose wearing a bonnet and apron and a velveteen rabbit with a satin bow about its neck.
All throughout the room small slow-moving orbs of light float airly around the room. They look soft and fluffy, but your hands just slide right through them when you attempt to touch them. They seem to be moving to the sounds of a music box tinkling happily away on the floor in the centre of the room. The entire display is like some far off dreamland; a whimsical waltz in violet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:13 pm
 The Host of the Chamber of the Whimsical Lounging on a small feather and sequin adorned loveseat sits a fairy princess. "My room is obviously the best of them all!" She greets you in a sugary sweet voice that nearly makes the rest of the room sour in comparison. "Come sit here with me for a moment," She invites sweetly, extending one gloved hand towards you.
As you step across the carpet you smell rose petals and warm sugar and realize the music the little music box is playing is none other by the Dance of the Sugar Plum Faeries. You reach the apholstered loveseat and sink into its volumnous depths. You suddenly feel much smaller and frailer in the warm embrace of the soft fabric.
The Hostess waves her wand with a sharp flick at the ceiling and its star tip gives off a bright pink glow. "Look up!" She chirps sweetly, pointing towards the ceiling with her wand. The floating balls of light have all gathered against the lacey fabric pinned to the ceiling in a very distinct shape, like a chalk outline of something. She turns her feathered mask towards you and smiles prettily. "Can you see what shape they're forming?" She presses the glittering wand into your hand and clasps her gloved hands together with a soft padded sound.
"Trace the shape with the wand and the whole picture will light up! Think you can play my game?"
Connect the Balls of Light!
Save the image to your computer and open it with your favourite art program, such as MS Paint. Use a mouse or tablet to draw a line between the dots to complete the picture! Post your finished results here for a Raffle ticket!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:14 pm
 After winding your way through six terrifyingly wonderful rooms, filled with wonder, feasts, and other such entertainments, you come to the final room. The Sable room of Terror. Immediately, you notice that this room is slightly different than it's predecessors. The decor of the room, as you would expect, is black. Silk-covered chairs and love seats line the dark colored walls, the vast majority of the dimly lit room dominated by a slick, well-polished dance floor. It seems that you have arrived after a few of your fellow Empyreans, who are now on the floor, speaking among one another about mysterious identities... Along the far wall is a table, elegant and rather old-looking, with several square pieces of parchment sit upon it, along with an elaborate quill, and small glass jar of black ink. Curious, you move to see what's written on the papers, and just what all of your fellows are whispering about.
It is then that you can finally put a finger to what is so different about this room. The stained glass windows, grand in their design, are not tinted black, to match the interior of this room. No, these windows are red, as red as blood, and cast a soft, scarlet glow upon everything within this room of so-called terror. You haven't come across anything terrifying yet, after all! It's then that a sound- the sound of a woman laughing, faint and almost not there, reaches your ears.
“I'm certain that I know what you're thinking,” comes a voice, obviously the voice of the woman whom the laughter belongs to. “The Terror Room isn't living up to it's name, is it? Perhaps I can help... change your mind.” With a smooth motion, the young woman speaking came into view, and moved a rather large scythe from one hand to the other. The figure was cloaked and hooded, all in black. From deep within the folds of the fabric you see something resembling a human skull, but you never seem to be able to get a better glimpse. “Come, and dance with Death.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:42 pm
  The Host of the Chamber of Plague
Without letting you protest, Death takes your hand, and leads you out onto the dance floor. “Death is kind, despite what you most undoubtedly have heard about me. I require only one simple task to let you leave this room unharmed, as you have left all the other rooms.” Whirling about, scythe kept safely in one hand, Death gestures towards the table you were eying earlier. “Over there, you will find a piece of paper, with the colors of the seven rooms you have been through tonight. In order for me to let you pass, I must see, written in your hand, the names of those who hosted each macabre place you've been to tonight.” With another laugh, soft and dangerous, she steps away, and gestures you towards the table. “Good luck!”
Can you unmask each of the Hosts of the Rooms that came before?
[u][b]Your Empyrean Name: [/b][/u]
[b]Host of the Chamber of Wonder: [/b]
[b]Host of the Chamber of Beauty: [/b]
[b]Host of the Chamber of the Terrible: [/b]
[b]Host of the Chamber of the Bizarre: [/b]
[b]Host of the Chamber of Fantasy: [/b]
[b]Host of the Chamber of the Whimsical: [/b]
[b]Host of the Chamber of Plague: [/b]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
