Ilphyl Palace Run

[spacetogrow]

Content Warning

Parts of Ilphyl’s past deal with religiously motivated child abuse, sexism (albeit fantasy sexism as it is against male drow), transphobia and fantasy racism. If you want to engage with Ilphyl’s Palace, but not this content, let me know and I can make sure you stay on an alternate route. I’ll also put warnings on particular rooms if it seems likely to come up, and use the subject lines of threads to add in warnings if it comes up unexpectedly.

Goal
Find and return Ilphyl's consciousness to prominence. You know it will take the form of a small bat, but aren't sure how you know this.

Comments

[spacetogrow]

[Exactly. Everyone loves a classic.]

[The mushrooms don't seem to be any species you recognize as much as an idea of mushrooms.]

[The mushroom releases minty-smelling spoors. Suddenly you see something in your head, rather like a dream.]

– You are sitting in a chair while a human man applies some kind of cream to your face. A mirror nearby shows that this is a first-person experience from Ilphyl; your face is Ilphyl’s, save that your hair is dyed brown, and the human is applying makeup to alter your skin tone to a dark brown rather than charcoal-gray. Perhaps this is some kind of memory.

A second human man holds up something – a green dress with long sleeves and a high neckline. “You’re sure you want this?”

“Wood elf males aren’t as short as I am,” you say. “So a female disguise makes more sense. Plus, it’s another thing to check off my blasphemy bucket list.” –

[The vision ends, and nothing has seemed to change.]

[hermit_crab]

[ OH. That. Is a strange feeling, isn't it? Tolovir touches his own face, as if he can feel the color difference between them. The brown hair ...

(He'd considered dying his own, but had decided against it; drow weren't an uncommon enough sight on the surface to make it a useful disguise method. Not when he needed to make himself unscryable.)

He rubs at his face. ]

Interesting, but not especially relevant, I suppose.

[spacetogrow]

[The masked elf looked over.]

It's good to get some ground rules in place here, before you lot start poking everything.

[it sounds like Ilphyl, but something about the tone is off.]

[hermit_crab]

[ Oh. Tolovir jolts in surprise. ]

Ilphyl? Is that you?

[spacetogrow]

Yes and no. Everything here is Ilphyl -- well, except the dryad -- but none of us are all Ilphly is.

[hermit_crab]

[ He squints a bit. ]

Fragments? Divisions?

[spacetogrow]

Or masks, if you like.

[hermit_crab]

... Ah. Yes, I think I understand that concept.

What do you represent, then?

[spacetogrow]

Ironically, what the masks always hide.

[hermit_crab]

Which is what?

[spacetogrow]

The ugly bits. The things they think people would hate us for, or that they just want to make go away. Don't tell me you don't have secrets. Even ones you keep from yourself.

[hermit_crab]

[ A faint twitch. ]

Of - of course I have those. Everyone does, as you said.

[spacetogrow]

[a half bow, and a grin]

Well, that's me. A pleasure to meet you.

[hermit_crab]

What should I call you, then?

[spacetogrow]

Shadow works. I could say it in Elven, but you'd get the basics down.

[hermit_crab]

[ He snorts faintly. ]

It comes out to the same, doesn't it?

[spacetogrow]

For you. Or even for everyone here.

[hermit_crab]

Ah, the translator. It is odd about what it chooses sometimes.

[ ANYWAY UH, ]

I'm looking for a ... bat? Do you have any idea where that would be?

[spacetogrow]

Yep. Everything is behind that door.

[you know, the locked one for staff only.]

What are your intentions? Besides hunting for a bat?

[hermit_crab]

The purpose of finding the bat is to retrieve Ilphyl's consciousness.

... but I admit to some curiosity as well? Their experience in the Underdark is different from mine.

[spacetogrow]

You really want to know?

[they are skeptical]

[hermit_crab]

Of course. The others, well. They don't understand.

[ He gestures to the two of them. ]

But we are drow.

[spacetogrow]

But will you really understand?

I suppose there is only one way to find out.

[They unlock the door and open it]

Follow me. You'll want the right side, with the earlier numbers above the doors.

[hermit_crab]

Right, right ...

[ He heads in. ]