Dungeon delve (for Manicorn)

[Pseudosym]

Brosh studies the bars at the door. Each of them is a vertical rod of solid steel as thick around as his two fingers.

Looking them up and down, he can see that they appear to retract into gaps in the jamb above the door. He can just make out a faint humming in the walls, which he presumes to be the mechanism that would raise and lower the bars. He can't make out any access point, however. The mechanics are either well buried, or there is some arcane nature to them that he can't detect.

Brosh takes a closer look at the statues. They are made primarily of stone. Burnished copper provides detail in places: a nose, fingers, and the suggestion of robes. In places, especially at the joints, Brosh can see a hint of exposed machinery.

The statue nearest the entrance to the hall stands straight, with its left arm folded behind its back. The other extends to the side, metallic fingers curled around a long rod of bamboo as thick as Brosh's little finger.

The middle statue stands leaning slightly forward. Its right arm is held at an odd angle, almost as though it stopped halfway to placing its hand on its hip. Its left hand, raised before it, grips a heavy wooden hairbrush with bristles of copper wire.

The last statue stands beside a knee-high dais. The statue's left arm extends above the dais, and its fingers curl slightly, as though holding something invisible. Its right hand, extended low and to the side, grips the handle of a wide leather strap.

[Manicorn]

Brosh takes the statues fully in, and then he narrows his eyes.

"Alright, I think I see what we're getting at," he declares. "And hell no. Ain't no way I'm submitting to a spanking from a... statue!"

"Hey, Box!" he yells up at the floating sphere. "Is there any other way out of this room?"

[Pseudosym]

"ACCESSING PREVIOUS ESCAPE STRATEGIES..." VoxOS whirs for a moment. Brosh might expect to be told he has insufficient privileges and should contact the administrator.

Surprisingly, however, VoxOS actually provides him with an answer: "ONE ALTERNATIVE ESCAPE STRATEGY FOUND FOR SUBJECT TYPE: HUMAN. ACCESSING STRATEGY DETAILS...

"THE SUBJECT MAY REMAIN IN THE ROOM AND MAKE NO FURTHER ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE. DUE TO LIMITATIONS OF THE HUMAN FORM, INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) ITS DEPENDENCE ON SUSTENANCE AND HYDRATION, THE SUBJECT'S INTERNAL ORGANS WILL BEGIN TO FAIL AFTER APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO SEVEN DAYS. AS A RESULT, THE SUBJECT WILL EXPERIENCE INTENSE INTERIOR TRAUMA. AFTER AN ADDITIONAL FOUR TO SEVEN DAYS, THE SUBJECT WILL LIKELY EXPIRE.

"IN THIS EVENT, THE SUBJECT WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE DUNGEON."

[Manicorn]

"Alright, alright! I get the idea!" Brosh snapped. He looked around again. Well, shit.

He carefully inspected the walls. He looked over the ceiling and floor. He even checked out the torches which had lit themselves when he'd first entered. None seemed to hold any solutions to his predicament. He couldn't go back the way he'd come, and the way forward was barred. Barred, unless he...

He chewed his lip. Was he really going to go through with it?

"Oh, hell," he said, stepping up to the first statue. That bamboo rod it was holding looked painful as hell. He really didn't want to feel it, but he didn't see any other choice either.

Clenching his eyes shut, he bent over... and raised his ass within range of the statue's swing.

[Pseudosym]

As Brosh steps into place, an arcane rune appears beneath his feet, glowing brilliant green. Brosh feels a strange weight, as though his feet have been glued to the ground. They will not move from this spot.

A slow clicking sound begins behind him, like the turning of gears. From his awkward perspective, Brosh can see the legs of the statue begin to move, as though it is shifting its weight.

The speed of the clicking picks up. It is joined by the whirring of belts, the clank of metal against metal, and the occasional hiss of steam.

The sound builds to a high-pitched whine, and then...

whooosh
wh-PAK!

The bamboo rod lays a solid stripe across both cheeks. Brosh's leggings are well constructed, made to be flexible and lightweight so as not to obstruct his movement. They are not made to protect from a spanking. In fact, the form-fitting leather rebounds under the blow, adding an extra little snap.

The slow clicking resumes, soft as before and building into a terrible crescendo of grinding machinery, until...

whooosh
wh-PAK!

 

Roll: 2d4+2 = [ 1 + 4 ] + 2 = 7

After seven such blows, the rune beneath Brosh vanishes, and he finds himself able to move once more.

There is a loud CLUNK and the sound of grinding gears, and Brosh watches as the steel bars retract upward into the wall.

[Manicorn]

Brosh had expected the statue to move in some way. What he hadn't expected was for his feet to be locked in place for it. He gasps as he tries to move them, while at the same time highly aware of the statue moving into place behind him. "Wh-what the hell!?"

The first crack against his ass drives his hips forward. He roars in pain, but his feet still refuse to move. The statue's arm moves back into place, and Brosh braces himself as best he can for another strike... and then another, and another, and another...

"Sh--SHIT. How many of these am I gonna GET?"

After seven swats, he's finally able to move again. He immediately hops away, grabbing his ass like he's gotta prevent it flying away. He rubs it and groans, even stuffing his hands down his pants to feel the welts across his buttocks.

At least the bars are retracted now. He'd expected to have to try all three statues before proceeding. Maybe his first choice had been the correct one? Or the real test had been just him choosing an implement to get swatted with? He grit his teeth as he drew his hands back out of his pants and walked, clench-fisted, to the door and went to push it open.

When I find whoever designed this place I am going to have a long, looong chat with 'em...

[Pseudosym]

Regaining his composure, Brosh heads to the door. Without the bars in the way, he has a better look at the latch. He gives it a twist and pushes his way through.

...That is, he tries to. The latch doesn't give under his hand, apparently locked fast.

Inspection reveals a keyhole beneath the latch, plated in shiny copper. It appears to be a standard mechanism, but unfortunately, there is no key to be found.

[Manicorn]

"Huh? Now what the hell is this?"


Brosh looks around quickly for a key, but isn't surprised when his search yields nothing. He would've found it the first time if there'd been one. He minutely glances towards the remaining statues, wondering if the trick is he's supposed to submit to another spanking from one of them in order to cough it up. But like hell is he gonna make it that easy on this place.


Shrugging, he raises one arm high and bends it behind his head. Digging in with his free hand, he detaches a set of simple lock-picking tools he had sewn into the armpit of his jerkin. "Perfect." He kneels down and gets to work trying to bypass the lock.

[Pseudosym]

 

Brosh rolls an 11

Brosh works at the lock, years of experience guiding his fingers. In short order, he is rewarded with a soft click, and for a moment, he feels pleased with himself.

But--that's odd. The latch still holds fast. Then... what was that click?

And now there's another sound. From within the walls, a skittering, and a bark of animalistic laughter.

A panel slides open above the door, and a copper-scaled face appears, grinning wickedly in the torchlight. Brosh recognizes it as one of the impish creatures from earlier. In one hand, it holds a short, many-tailed flog.

Brosh notices something else. His hands are stuck to the latch. It is as though he is being pulled by a powerful magnetic force: no matter how he tries, he cannot take his hands away.

As the awful thing scuttles eagerly down the wall, VoxOS, ever faithful, pipes up: "CHEATERS NEVER PROSPER."

[Manicorn]

"Cheating!? Hey, I'm just usin' every resource at my disposal here!"


That explanation doesn't seem to carry much weight here though. Brosh watches as the ugly, giggling kobold scurries towards him, flog in hand. He has the feeling he knows exactly what it's gonna do with it. "Oh no ya don't! Don't come anywhere near me with that thing!" he says, trying to sound as threatening as he can. A difficult task, since the critter can see him pulling haplessly at his hands in an effort to get loose.


He's still got his legs though. At the first opportunity Brosh resolves to lash out with his feet and kick the thing away.