Five Floors of Torment

[momatoes]

I actually miss this adventure, but I'm intimidated by what I missed. So...

> Detailed recap?

[Miraculous]

Recap File #1
A mannequin, dressed in the well-pressed blue of a bailiff's uniform, places a small stack of paper onto the Judge's bench. With sharp eyes, in both ability and gaze, she carefully examines the front cover. The title is precisely centred, the font is the perfect balance between readability and space economy and the staple is oriented at a pleasing forty-five degree angle. The judge nods curtly and dismisses the bailiff, content with his secretarial efforts. So hard to get good help these days. Then again, the Judges muses, such resources are better spent elsewhere. Like assaulting the office of an upstart usurper or menacing a fellow upholder of justice. Management matters aside, the Judge very carefully lifts the cover of the dossier and begins to read.

The World (Fortune City)
One (1) month ago, the sun failed to rise on Fortune City, a bustling metropolis of business, entertainment and sin. The sun has not risen since. One (1) day ago, letters were sent out to Isabella Calabrese, a socialite, and Frederick Taylor, an honourable officer of law, luring them to the Dark Keep located in the centre of Fortune City, promising them a lost lover and a lead on an important case respectively. They ascended. At the same time, two intruders entered the Keep; Miss Tate and Mr Sanity. Despite attempts by the Denizens of the Keep to force them out, they also ascended.

At 10 o'clock this morning (1000 hours), Magnus McClane, The Detective, received an invitation to the Dark Keep, as well as communications from his allies, Miss. Calabrese, who he was once hired by to investigate her aforementioned lover, and Mr. Taylor, an ex-coworker in the police force. Joined by The Cat, The Detective proceeded to the Dark Keep and ascended to the First Floor, on time. Please see file 2B for further information on the fate of The World.

The First Floor (Swanson's Restaurant)
The Detective ascended to the domain of the Lethal Chef. Here, he was introduced to the mannequins of the Keep, as well as Mystico, who assisted him via computer terminal in his investigation of the homicide that occurred in the restaurant at the hand of the Lethal Chef. Through collecting the Means, Motive and Proof, The Detective was able to uncover the crimes of the Lethal Chef and execute him according to your wishes. However, the Lethal Chef was able to escape despite horrific burns through use of the employee elevator. His current status is, regrettably, unknown. The Detective then ascended once more.

The Second Floor (Heinemann High)
The Detective ascended to the domain of the Spiteful Harlot; a highschool wrapped in a perpetual blizzard. Once again, The Detective collected evidence to prove the Villain's crime and execute her, despite being menaced by a rogue mannequin not under your own control. It has since been destroyed. Along the way, The Detective reunited with Mr. Taylor, who assisted him in his investigations, along with Mystico, and informed him of his duty to ascend the Dark Keep while thwarting the Villains. The Detective also met and was antagonised by Miss. Tate and Mr. Sanity, acquiring an appointment with the latter from the former, before the two ascended to the third floor. Their activities on this floor are detailed in File 1C. The Detective's investigations on this floor lead him to discover the cold storage beneath the school, where the students and faculty were being stored prior to their processing in the Basement. While below, the Detective was menaced by Technical Support. Concerns about the Technical Support's actions are covered in File 3A. Eventually, the Harlot was judged. Her current status is unknown.

The Basement (Below)
Under your own orders, the Detective, accompanied by the Cat and Mr. Taylor, proceeded to the basement floor to investigate the meddling of Miss. Tate and Mr Sanity there. That is their current location. They have so far collected no evidence of antagonistic undertakings in the Basement, although the Cat was destroyed at one point. It has since been replaced. This is the extent of the information available on the current situation.

The Brutal Judge twists her mouth in thought. She absent mindedly draws a long fingernail across her precious, polished gavel. "Hrm," she mutters. "Not quite as planned, but perhaps we can salvage something from this situation..."


Below: The Hive
"So what's the plan now, Mags?" Frederick asks once the pair reaches the small halo of light shining through the south door, neither of them particularly keen to stand in absolute darkness, night vision goggles or no night vision goggles.

"Only one place left to go, right?" Magnus suggests as he puts the goggles away again.

What will the detective do now?

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So, now that I've graduated from high school and have considerably more free time that is not taken up by study, I can actually reboot this. While you can get away with reading the above recap (plus the last couple pages to get up to speed on the immediate situation), I'd suggest you read the whole adventure thus far because I can't really get all the little plot details into a simple recap. But for now, that recap is enough to get you going. Now then, puzzles.

[Miraculous]

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Casual bump

[arsenicPerfectionist]

>Go pick up the fallen mirror, in a stoic and hard-boiled manner.

[Miraculous]

>Go pick up the fallen mirror, in a stoic and hard-boiled manner.

"Hang on, I need you to do me a favour first," Magnus says, slipping the night vision goggles back over his head, tightening the rubber straps around his skull. "Won't take a second..." Frederick tilts his head in confusion at the sudden backpeddling, but complies. The duo heads north through the unnatural darkness once more.

Below: The Gauntlet
"Think you can carry this for me?" Magnus requests, motioning to the large square mirror lying on the first grid square of the room. "Could come in handy."

"You're just a right kleptomaniac today, aren'tcha?" Frederick replies with a wry smirk. He looks from the mirror to the bulky chainsaw in his hands. "Sure thing, but I'll have to swap." He unceremoniously dumps the chainsaw onto the ground with a clatter, then pulls the mirror up off the ground and tucks it under his arm. Despite the large mirror almost coming up to Magnus' torso when standing on its edge, the hulking police officer holds onto it with little trouble.

"Trust me, I don't go stealing mirrors, or anything for that matter, without a good reason," Magnus says.

The door to the south leads back to the dark hive. The grid of perilous squares lies north.

What will the detective do now?

[NaiKujibo]

The only room we haven't been in yet is the snake pit room so:
>go to snake pit room

[Miraculous]

The only room we haven't been in yet is the snake pit room so:
>go to snake pit room

"Only one thing for it, then," Magnus decides. "There's just one way forward."

Frederick nods in agreement. Together, they proceed south twice.

Below: The Gangway
As the party steps back onto the metal platform suspended in the abyss of absolute nothing, the elevator at the south end of the gangway lets out a suspiciously cheerful 'ding!'. The cage door rattles open and out steps a very familiar black cat, shockingly un-shattered. Felix meows and darts across the gangway to join Magnus and Frederick once more, while the elevator pulls its door closed. The two men watch the cat as it approaches them expectantly, eyes wide and innocent. They share an incredulous look. "We just saw that cat fall apart, didn't we...?" Frederick mutters, apparently fearful of speaking too loudly lest Felix hear him.

"I think so, yes," Magnus answers, nodding slowly. He eyes the cat over; same thin build, same raven black fur, even the same too-big eyes. It was definitely the same cat that he had picked up back at the office and the same cat he had seen scatter into tiny shards just a few minutes ago. "Apparently, he got better. Shall we?"

Frederick eyes the cat warily, but apparently decides that the feline, reincarnated or not, poses little threat. The newly reformed party moves north twice.

Below: The Grinder
"So why didn't we keep going when we were here last time?" Frederick asks as they walk towards the narrow passage leading north.

"Snakes. I heard snakes. I don't like snakes," Magnus responds. "I'd like to put off dealing with snakes as long as possible, thanks much."

"Yeah we-" Frederick begins, but he is cut off by another teeth-grinding yowl from Felix. Before the party even gets a chance to peer down the corridor, let alone step into it and investigate the source of the hissing sound, the cat sprints ahead and leaps into the opening to the corridor. For just a moment, the sound of hissing snakes intensifies, then is replaced by the sound of air splitting as a bolt of lighting blasts from down the corridor and strikes Felix, right between the eyes. Frederick instinctively pulls Magnus back from the corridor, nearly dropping the mirror in the process.

The detective and the police officer stare at Felix. The cat has not reacted to the bolt of lightning at all. In fact, the cat hasn't moved at all. It continues to stand stock still, staring down the corridor, jaw open mid-howl, limbs caught in the middle of a sprint. The cat has been turned to stone; a solid statue, perfectly capturing a feline in motion. The sound of hissing snakes continues, albeit with a rattle of smugness and pride.

Magnus and Frederick stare in shock at the petrified cat. "Well," Magnus begins, "That didn't last very long."

Frederick merely nods in response.

What will the detective do now?

[NaiKujibo]

OH COME ON!
>try to think of something you can use as a lightning rod

this sounds like Medusa sans the lightning. alternatively:
> proceed in a single file with the mirror held in front of you.

[Miraculous]

> proceed in a single file with the mirror held in front of you.

"Y' see, this is why you pick up everything that isn't nailed down. Reckon you can hold that mirror up in front of you and step in the line of fire?" Magnus asks, looking at Frederick expectantly while avoiding the sight of the petrified feline.

Frederick, on the other hand, continues to stare at Felix very warily. "Uh... You sure that'll work, Mags? i don't wanna end up an oversized lawn ornament just 'cause you suck at puzzles..."

"Just do it, all right?" Magnus snaps.

Frederick sighs heavily and holds the mirror up with both hands in front of his chest, like a shield. Slowly, he moves towards the opening of the north corridor, taking tiny, miniscule steps in order to delay death-by-petrification. Magnus rolls his eyes. As Frederick finally steps into the corridor in full, careful to avoid knocking Felix over, the sound of hissing hits an apex once more and another bolt of light streams down the corridor, directed straight at Frederick. The police officer flinches as the ribbon of crackling light hits the mirror and bounces straight back down the corridor. A distinctive 'crack' reverberates from the end of the corridor and the hissing suddenly stops. Frederick looks over at Magnus with a shaky grin. "'S okay now, I got it!"

Magnus quickly steps over to see what Frederick 'got'. The corridor is nothing more than a narrow path created by towering black walls on either side. At the end is an ornate wooden door leading north, adorned with the petrified head of a twisted, snarling wench with a mop of thin snakes nestled on her head. The monstrous woman's expression has been captured in a combination of rage and understandable shock.

"You know, I'm not much of an art man, but I find this one rather fetching," Frederick comments with a smirk, leaning the now blackened mirror against his leg.

What will the detective do now?

[NaiKujibo]

> proceed through ornate wooden door

[Miraculous]

> proceed through ornate wooden door

Before anything else can threaten the party with puzzles, they proceed north.

Below: The Bar
As Frederick and Magnus step into the new cavernous room, smooth jazz washes over them like a moody wave. Both men get a distinct feeling of deja vu as they look around the room; something about the pitiful ambient light, coming only from the metal cage lanterns hanging from the roof, is very familiar. Beyond that, it is like no bar either of the men have ever entered. Rather than the usual scattering of tables and chairs that would be found in such establishment, the main floor is dominated by an incredibly long polished oak table, the sort opulent mansions are supposed to have. Precisely nine plush chairs, matching the wood of the table but accompanied by the red of velvet cushioning, line the table, with one at the north head and four on either side, sitting at regular intervals.

The east wall is covered with portraits. A lot of portraits, really. Over a dozen. Thankfully, the wall is long enough to accommodate for so many pieces of art. There are a couple of faces Magnus recognises; a chef and a schoolgirl. But a vast majority depict people that Magnus has never seen and likely never will.

The west wall accommodates a ludicrously long bar that stretches from the south wall all to the way to the north, with enough bar stools to seat an entire club of ravers. Behind the bar is an absolute library of alcohol on shelves; bottles upon bottles of ethanol in every form imaginable form, with colours ranging from the brightest of reds to the most vivid of violets, arranged in some incomprehensible sense of order. Manning the bar is someone who also incites a feeling of deja vu. At least, he does for Magnus. He is young, certainly at least a few years younger than Magnus himself. But at the same time, his skin is weathered and his eyes are tired, while his white apron is tattered and covered in splashes of alcohol and oil. He looks like a young man who is very nearly tired of life already. At the moment, he is busily polishing one of the crowd of wine goblets sitting on the bar. He doesn't appear to have noticed Magnus or Frederick yet.

Frederick raises an eyebrow at Magnus expectantly, not wanting to announce their presence without Magnus' okay.

The wooden door to the south leads back to the Grinder. The only other exit is a discrete metal door to the north, which appears to have a keypad next to it.

What will the detective do now?

[NaiKujibo]

>examine pockets for money, then talk to the bartender.

[Miraculous]

>examine pockets for money, then talk to the bartender.

"Got any green?" Magnus mutters to the side.

"Nada," Frederick replies. "Left it in the car. You?"

"No. Got something better, though," Magnus says. He shoves his hands into his coat pockets, puffs out his chest and marches straight towards the barman, putting on the most intimidating scowl his muscles can muster. As he reaches the bar, he slams a fist down on the black slate of the counter. "Listen up," he growls, locking eyes with the barkeep, who appears to be sufficiently shaken by the sudden approach. "I want two things: answers and a-"

"Rusty nail," the barkeeper finishes, pulling a tumbler of the drink from under the bar and presenting it to Magnus. The detective blinks in surprise and eyes the grog suspiciously. It was obviously fixed recently, as the crude ice cubes floating on the surface of the liquid are unmelted. Too tired and too grateful for the reprise to question the barman's apparent precognition, Magnus pulls up a stool, sniffs at the drink warily, then takes a sip. "So," the barman begins, "what else can I do you for? Usually ascending involves going up floors, towards the top, not coming down to the basement."

Frederick sheepishly joins Magnus at the bar. He eyes the selection of drinks over, apparently seeing it a good time to take a load off.

How will the detective respond?

[NaiKujibo]

>ask his name, how you're supposed to get past the mirror room, and the puzzle that's obviously coming up. (and since he seems to be giving away free alcohol, ask for a bottle of his highest proof and a rag.)

[NaiKujibo]

anyone else on this? I'm kind of bad at puzzles.

[Miraculous]

>ask his name, how you're supposed to get past the mirror room, and the puzzle that's obviously coming up. (and since he seems to be giving away free alcohol, ask for a bottle of his highest proof and a rag.)

"You got a name, Mack?" Magnus asks, the buzz of alcohol hitting hard on his empty stomach.

"They never bothered to give me a name," the barman replies cooly, pouring vodka from a bottle completely devoid of labels into a frosted shot glass, before sliding it to Frederick. "It's always 'barman, make me this,' or 'barman, go fix that'. Who needs a name when you have a title, eh detective?" He smirks a little, albeit without malice. "Mack'll do just fine."

"All right Mack, few questions. What's up with the big room of mirrors?"

"Gauntlet. Big puzzle. Leads to the IT department."

"So, no hints, then," Magnus says with a sigh.

"No," the barman replies, going back to his glass polishing casually.

"All right then, how about the door over there?" Magnus asks, thumbing over his shoulder to the north door. "What's the deal with it?"

"Leads to the Engine," Mack answers, the capital letter practically palpable in the air. "Only professionals like me or tech support are allowed in there. Or people with permission in the form of a work order from a professional. And I don't think you have that, do you?"

"No," Magnus murmurs into his glass. He looks back up at the barman. "But I would like to have that bottle of vodka and a spare rag."

The barman raises an eyebrow, his expression rather concerned. Nevertheless, he slides the bottle to Magnus and tosses the rag he was using to polish the glasses as well. Magnus puts both items away into his inventory. "You're either planning to hit the bottle hard or start a fire. I know which I'd prefer."

"We'll see," Magnus replies, taking another sip of his drink.

Frederick downs his shot in one swift gulp, slamming the empty shot glass down onto the bar. He nearly breaks it in the process.

What will the detective do now?

[NaiKujibo]

>examine door to Engine room

[Miraculous]

>examine door to Engine room

"Well, let's take a look," Magnus says. He gets up off his stool and walks towards the north door. Unlike the ornate wooden door he entered the bar from, this door is simply black, adorned only with a plain metal handle. There are no visible marking to indicate exactly what might be behind it, although Magnus can feel a very faint vibrating in his feet when he approaches the door.

Beside the simple door is an equally simple keypad, displaying the digits zero to nine. There is also a small digital screen with an input for eight digits, judging by the number of underscores displayed.

Mack pulls a fresh rag from under the bar and goes back to his work. He watches Magnus from the corner of his eye, however.

What will the detective do now?

[NaiKujibo]

great, a number pad and no puzzle. The code is probably hidden somewhere else, like the mirror room or something. However this gives me an opportunity to test a theory.

>go back to the gangway

[Miraculous]

>go back to the gangway

"Thanks for the drinks, Mack," Magnus says as he walks back over to the bar, swigging down the remains of his rusty nail on arrival, "but we need to get going. There's something I need to see."

The barman nods and places the two empty glasses out of sight under the bar. "Any time. I think if anyone here deserves a hard drink, it's you. I'm sure I'll see you again soon anyway."

"I'm sure you will. Come on Frederick, there's something I need to see for myself," Magnus says, before proceeding to the south door.

Frederick gets up from his stool, which is a little worse for wear after being forcing to support the officer's sheer bulk. He nods to Mack, offers a brief "cheers", then follows Magnus south.

Below: The Gangway
As the party steps back onto the metal platform suspended in the abyss of absolute nothing, the elevator at the south end of the gangway lets out a suspiciously cheerful 'ding!'. The cage door rattles open and out steps a very familiar black cat, shockingly un-petrified. Felix meows and darts across the gangway to join Magnus and Frederick once more, while the elevator pulls its door closed. The two men watch the cat as it approaches them expectantly, eyes wide and innocent. They share a bemused look. "This cat must have nine lives, eh?" Frederick says with a chuckle.

"Mrm. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, though..." Magnus mutters as he eyes the innocent black cat.

What will the detective do now?

[NaiKujibo]

ok, now I know something's up with that cat.

>go to snake room and locate Felix statue

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I'm just bs'ing at this point, if anyone has a real suggestion, feel free to speak up.

[absoluteCertainty]

> examine portraits in more detail; you may encounter more of these people later! also one of them might have something hidden behind it.

[Mirdini]

> Ask the bartender if he had any strange types coming through (apart from Frederick and yourself, obviously). After all, we're looking for evidence of Sanity and Tate's meddling.

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Despite not reading any mspafa's for like 5 months since I've just never found the time, I came back for this one because it is so great and underappreciated and yet you still update it Miraculous (also you're still a samurai < 3).

[Miraculous]

>go to snake room and locate Felix statue

> examine portraits in more detail; you may encounter more of these people later! also one of them might have something hidden behind it.

> Ask the bartender if he had any strange types coming through (apart from Frederick and yourself, obviously). After all, we're looking for evidence of Sanity and Tate's meddling.

"All right, it's about time we got down to the real grit of this investigation," Magnus declares. "Enough with the damned riddles, let's do a bit of old-fashioned policework. eh?" He smirks wryly at his companion, who responds with a eager grin. The detective, police officer and the cat proceed north

Below: The Grinder
"Hrm," Magnus mumbles as the party walks around the towering, whirling mechanism of painful shredding and towards the north corridor. "Notice something odd?"

"Besides the insane machine, medusa head and the stone cat?" Frederick replies, with just a dash of sarcasm.

"That last one specifically. The Felix that got petrified is still here, no?"

"You were expecting it to suddenly spring back to life and move again?" Frederick asks incredulously, eyebrow arched high.

"Well... Yes, to be honest. Otherwise, this suggests that the Felix that just walked out of the elevator isn't the same cat as the one that got stoned," Magnus says.

"So if that's true, doesn't that mean that the Felix that got petrified wasn't the same cat as the one that was broken in the mirror room?" Frederick adds, suddenly stealing a wary glance at their feline companion.

"They look identical though. Act it too. Not sure what that means though. I'm not really a cat person," Magnus says, making his way north.

"You're not really a people-person, either," Frederick murmurs ruefully, following in his wake, as does Felix.

Below: The Bar
"First things first. Let's take a look at these portraits." Magnus walks over to the line of pictures coating the east wall. He walks up and down, eyeing each portrait in turn. "Fifteen in total, looks like."

"Recognise any of them?" Frederick asks, joining the detective by the gallery.

"Two," Magnus responds, motioning to two portraits. The first one depicts a rather maniacal chef against a white tiled wall, meat cleavers crossed over his chest. The second shows a very familiar teenaged girl looking out a wide window, watching the snow fall heavily. "Employees of the month, maybe?"

"Dunno," Frederick mutters, "but who are the rest? They don't really match up... Look, there's a cowboy in this one."

"A luchador in one over there."

"Housewife here."

"Farmer."

"Teacher."

"Fashion model."

"There's no real pattern," Magnus decides, "except that they're all... Distinct. No-one generic, all of them recognisable with some kind of job or role."

"I knew you'd be back," the barman says. Magnus whirls around, surprised to hear him speak up from across the room. "And here you are. Thirsty?" Without even waiting for a response, he starts reaching under the bar to fix a drink, already pull a glass tumbler out.

"No thanks, we just want answers this time," Magnus replies, approaching the bar once again. "Has anyone else come through here recently? Sharply dressed woman or a man with a top hat?"

"Yes," Mack answers, gripping the glass tightly in his hands. The detective is momentarily worried it might shatter in his grip. "They came through here. Intruded, more like. Went straight through to the Engine and..."

"And?" Magnus prompts, leaning forward slightly.

"Put a Spanner in the Works. The woman somehow opened the doors... I don't even know how she could know the code! Then again, I suppose it's never changed... I tried to stop them from getting close to the Engine, but that woman is brutal. I swear, she could fight off a pack of gargoyles. The man used the Spanner in the Works, and... Well," Mack sighs, "that's when everything went hangwire. The Engine's gone out of control and there's nothing I can do to fix it. The Spanner is still in there; taking it out of the Works did no good, the damage is already done."

"Hrm," Magnus replies evenly, rapping his fingers on the black slate of the bar. "What happened then?"

"They left," the barman answers with a helpless shrug. "There was nothing I could do to stop them. I'm just about the only one here without omnipotence, apparently. I don't know what happened to them when they left the bar."

Felix is making himself comfortable on one of the barstools, while Frederick continues examining the gallery of portraits curiously.

What will the detective do now?

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Hey, great to see more suggesters in here, the more the merrier. And the more to solve puzzles. I appreciate the praise as well, it's good to hear people are enjoying this. So long as I get suggestions, I'll keep updating as best I can.

[Mirdini]

> Ask the bartender if he minds letting you into the Engine (or somehow helping you with/giving you a hint to the doorcode), since you're here to try to clean up the mess Sanity made anyway.

If he can't, maybe he could give you a tip as to where you could head next.