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lynchpin_castle) wrote2028-02-22 10:57 pm
lynchpin_castle) wrote2028-02-22 10:57 pm
Challenge Zones
Challenges and Challenge Zones
Challenges between Champions will take place in designated areas at designated times, since this is ultimately a formal contest and competition between the Forces of Creation, and the Forces of Unmaking. The landscape in the void will and can adapt to provide these designated areas. Sometimes, a designated area will have a ‘base’ form, and be used again and again in various ways, with different options. These specific zones are listed below.
The Labyrinth (Primarily Mental)
The labyrinth is, in its simplest form, a complex maze. Long have beings used it as a tool of mediation and focus, navigating its walls whether in the physical or mental realms. The Labyrinth is one of the main challenge-zones that always exists, but what form it takes depends on what the current challenge is. What form it takes may also have limits and restrictions to provide a proper challenge to the champions.
The base form of the Labyrinth is an enclosed and complex maze that resists attempts to break out via any means other than navigating it from start to finish. It’s layout-changes every time, but there are ways to help one learn one’s way. (String, marking the walls, etc)
The Labyrinth Zone may be reached via a teleportation pad within the Observation room of the Castle.
The Mirror Gallery (Primarily Spiritual)
The Mirror Gallery has many names, but this is the most common. Mirrors are reflections, and reflections can be distorted or far too accurate for comfort. This challenge zone also takes different forms, but the theme always remains the same in that champions have their spiritual mettle tested, be it facing their worst fears and flaws, temptation fulfilled but with great cost, or making choices that are life-altering.
The base form of the Mirror Gallery is a small building full of mirrors of various shapes, sizes, and types. Depending on what one wishes to gaze on, one may find the mirror they wish to test themselves and attempt to learn what challenges they may face. (i.e: fun-house mirrors, mirrors that show your opposite, mirrors that show what you desire most…)
The Mirror Gallery may be reached via a teleportation pad in the Tapestry gallery of the castle.
The Field (Primarily Physical)
The Field is a designated challenge zone, that adapts and changes as needed for the challenge provided. It is an interdimensional space which may resemble a racing track one time, or a sparring ring another. It can be a vast prairie, or an arctic wasteland. Depending on the climate/atmosphere of the zone, there may be additional challenges for champions here.
The base form of the Field is a large area with mountains, plains, some rivers, and plateaus. It is reachable via a teleportation pad outside of the Castle-grounds along a set path. Where it exists otherwise is not known.
Challenges between Champions will take place in designated areas at designated times, since this is ultimately a formal contest and competition between the Forces of Creation, and the Forces of Unmaking. The landscape in the void will and can adapt to provide these designated areas. Sometimes, a designated area will have a ‘base’ form, and be used again and again in various ways, with different options. These specific zones are listed below.
The Labyrinth (Primarily Mental)
The labyrinth is, in its simplest form, a complex maze. Long have beings used it as a tool of mediation and focus, navigating its walls whether in the physical or mental realms. The Labyrinth is one of the main challenge-zones that always exists, but what form it takes depends on what the current challenge is. What form it takes may also have limits and restrictions to provide a proper challenge to the champions.
The base form of the Labyrinth is an enclosed and complex maze that resists attempts to break out via any means other than navigating it from start to finish. It’s layout-changes every time, but there are ways to help one learn one’s way. (String, marking the walls, etc)
The Labyrinth Zone may be reached via a teleportation pad within the Observation room of the Castle.
The Mirror Gallery (Primarily Spiritual)
The Mirror Gallery has many names, but this is the most common. Mirrors are reflections, and reflections can be distorted or far too accurate for comfort. This challenge zone also takes different forms, but the theme always remains the same in that champions have their spiritual mettle tested, be it facing their worst fears and flaws, temptation fulfilled but with great cost, or making choices that are life-altering.
The base form of the Mirror Gallery is a small building full of mirrors of various shapes, sizes, and types. Depending on what one wishes to gaze on, one may find the mirror they wish to test themselves and attempt to learn what challenges they may face. (i.e: fun-house mirrors, mirrors that show your opposite, mirrors that show what you desire most…)
The Mirror Gallery may be reached via a teleportation pad in the Tapestry gallery of the castle.
The Field (Primarily Physical)
The Field is a designated challenge zone, that adapts and changes as needed for the challenge provided. It is an interdimensional space which may resemble a racing track one time, or a sparring ring another. It can be a vast prairie, or an arctic wasteland. Depending on the climate/atmosphere of the zone, there may be additional challenges for champions here.
The base form of the Field is a large area with mountains, plains, some rivers, and plateaus. It is reachable via a teleportation pad outside of the Castle-grounds along a set path. Where it exists otherwise is not known.
no subject
Ahsoka felt... a moment of frustration as Tamaki said that, brows drawn together and leaning in a bit more. Whispering. "He... acts... like most guys do?" Oh honey, no. but she stared at him, a bit unsure after that. Sorry.
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Tamaki huffed slightly, and wanted to shake Ahsoka. Shaking his head no, but he couldn't actually do much more. Not without potential embarrassment. Which some would say hadn't stopped him before, but the Host Club was *different*. Instead he gave the bandage over her hand a pat, and a small smile.
Then turning as he was addressed, smile widening again. "Can you describe that thing more? Because if this is a maze, it might very much be the legendary Minotaur." Upon seeing the other's blank look, Tamaki stood up, gesturing and proceeded to tell them the story of the Minotaur and its maze, the maze's creator Daedalus, and the hero Theseus who finally bested the beast.
Clearly in his element as showman, and by the end of the story the bandages and first aid supplies were cleaned up, and he was back over by his backpack and tea, and sitting down again.
no subject
When Tamaki mentioned a Minotaur, she beamed, clapping her hands twice and smiled bright. Normal people would not have smiled. "Oh wow! I can hardly believe it. a real minotaur." She cheered softly, taking a seat near Trunk's and on the other side of Ashoka, her hands resting in her lap and smiling up at Tamaki as he spoke. Every once in a while she would interject small details to help his story, but for the most part she was very happy to hear him talk.
The two Earth kids that were more 'normal' than the others (even Hima in her case) were of course the ones that knew all about the creature. Logan might have as well, but not to this detail.
Ahsoka rubbed her face after all that, curling her head down into the large pillow seat and half laying out but still awake. "And here we dropped it into a cage of wiggling... things. I'm not sure it will keep in there. I'm also curious if it's... real like we are? brought here to help with tests and training, or just..." she waved her hand in the hair. "A thing they put in the... I suppose program isn't the right word. I still get a feel of it's presence, but the Force works in strange ways, so it might just be giving me a warning."
She let out a sigh, closing her eyes a moment. Plate not even half eaten. "Either way, I'm glad we didn't kill it, but I'd rather not run into it again."
no subject
"Whether it's a construct of this challenge, like a 'program' or not, it's probably here to keep us more goal-oriented than just pure reward is, or satisfaction alone. If this were a true Challenge, there'd be opposition of some kind beyond just the maze itself--so the Minotaur is likely the stand-in for that." Trunks ventured, getting through his second plate at least before he stopped.
Tamaki looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "That would make sense, since this is also supposed to be less of a combative test zone than the Field you mentioned before. Our hosts have also mentioned how the opposition is not...creative. It's not exactly creative to suppose that if you can't beat someone physically, you try to beat them mentally. It's been a very recent cultural shift away from the renaissance man or gentlemanly-noble archetypes, where one was expected to be both scholarly AND physically inclined." Tamaki WAS a junior in an elite private school, and he smiled at the end of that. "Research for the host club often requires much reading, although I am often blind and woefully under-prepared for commoner culture such as dear Haruhi-kun has experienced."
Commoner culture? On the tip of Trunks' tongue to ask, before a slight head shake. "On my version of Earth, there are animal-people..that is, animals that are sentient intelligent human-like, except y'know, an animal. One of mom's old traveling companions was a pig, for example. He was a pervert, but wore clothes and walked on two legs, and everything. I'd have expected something like that, if you'd told me we'd be facing a man-bull."