Donald
Shiro, William and Athena would face no obstacles whatsoever as they descended down the narrow-halled stairwell of 1-A, plausibly bumping into one another if they weren't careful with their steps. No claws to hunt them, nor otherwise inanimate object willing to come alive and attempt to maul them— Shiro would be wise to keep the blade and the flesh it adorned raised up. There was only one direction to follow unlike the previous situation, although there was no indication that they were any closer to finding their lost allies or who be related to them. Each step they took echoed down the seemingly endless staircase practically consumed by an almost unnatural darkness, and yet, eventually, something different came about. Something somewhat promising, relatively speaking, and yet all too familiar based on what had happened thus far.

It would take several minutes to get *All* The way down, but as the three of them did, there was a point where there were no more stairs. The birch walls become wider and more comfortable for moving around, and they could walk in a straight path that didn't require descending downwards. Like a tunnel with a light at the end, there was a faint illumination that would be in sight— a blue, timid color— and it evidently served to highlight what was directly below it. A simple, square-shaped trapdoor within the floor, made of the same wood that the rest of the Inn took on, generally being simplistic if not outdated, included a rusted, metal wheel or switch on its top. There existed nothing past this trapdoor, as the hall came to an end. No fake-outs, no extra doorways or wrong directions to disturb them. There was still that slight stench of rot, though.

The group could decide whether or not they felt so inclined discussing opening it, but it's not like they had any other options at hand comparable to the prior entryway situation they just dealt with. If nothing to think over, grabbing the wheel and turning it would *Not* Be easy— it required an amount of physical strength that not one singular person could pull off, likely needing a group effort. Assuming said wheel is pulled by their collective strengths, it would slowly open the trapdoor once pulled all the way to the right in an automated fashion somewhat contradictory to its old-fashioned appearance. Gradually, a chute is revealed to be inside.

A slide-like passageway for the trapdoor, built with metal that once again opposed its basic woodwork, of which lacked the same rust that the wheel possessed. It wasn't necessarily large or wide, no more then the trapdoor itself, but all of them could likely fit through with some wiggling around. It was a simple matter of putting oneself inside the chute— one at a time— and sliding straight down, akin to a child going down a surface at a park. The blue light provided some illumination, but it failed to reveal anything other then the fact that the chute was fairly long. Whatever was below could not be discerned, and yet, this was the only place they could go. A reoccurring theme within the Inn thus far, and the question remained whether it would come back to bite them. For a self-aware deathtrap that didn't want anyone going further then its entrance, it seemed to limit the options of invaders.
Humberto
The claw, as predicted, stopped for Shiro for his holding of the blade. As they proceeded further, descending down a staircase before them, Shiro couldn't help but to feel a tingling sense of unease. Things were proceeding **Too** Easy, he thought. 
 
He wondered how the others, not just Roberta and Brandt, but Starbi and Arlet were fairing.
 
 At last the stairs ended, he stopped briefly for his companions. He may not get winded easily, but they might be, and upon verifying if they were fine, he'd proceed. 
 
Further onwards was a lumniscence, a light shining blue with what seemed like a trapdoor leading even *Further* Down. 
 
It seemed the only way forward however, and by the looks of the wheel and lever, they all needed to be in agreement. 

 ```
"It appears we have reached yet another point of decision. I doubt any of us want to turn back at this stage though, and it appears to open the way requires collective strength, so... Shall we?"

```
James
Athena remained silent as she walked down the seemingly endless staircase as she tried to remember her original intention before entering this foreboding descent. Eventually, she reached the room with the trapdoor and wheel. Taking in her surroundings, she walked cautiously toward the trapdoor in the center of the room.

Athena cracked her knuckles, and summoned her Ensnared Sentinel. Both she and the knight grasped the large, rusted wheel attached to the trapdoor. However, instead of immediately attempting to turn it, Athena paused and turned her head towards Shiro and William.

```
"Welp, there's really only one way from here, So shall we?"
```
Laurie
The descent wasn't as bad as he thought but it did leave some time for his thoughts to wander. Eventually hitting the floor, he searched around the room and agreed with Shiro and Athena to open the latch. Placing his revolver back into it's holster he walked towards the wheel and went into position. Nothing to special, just open the wheel and lever.
Humberto
With his companions also deciding to press forward, Shiro would add his might to their efforts, together lifting the latch.

With a chute being revealed below, the decision would then be who would go down first.

Shiro decided to "Test the waters" Just in case, and so he would summon a baseball-sized fireball and throw it down the chute, motioning to his companions to wait and see if anything attacked the sudden intrusion into the space.

If not, they could descend, hopefully safely.
Donald
The rusted metallic wheel is easily conquered by the collective strengths of all *Four* Of them especially including the Ensnared Sentinel, turning it rightmost with ease and revealing the aforementioned chute below the hatch. Shiro's initiative to launch the ball-shaped fire construct, while rightfully cautious, proved to divulge little to no information. No sudden attacks nor any more effective of illumination then the dingy blue light that hung over the trapdoor— there was no supposed reaction from whatever was to meet them at the end of the slide, and most strangely, there seemed to be a suspicious lack of *Noise* Or audible volume within the chute itself, almost as if it was completely soundproof, even with the fireball bouncing back and forth across the tight space of the chute's metal. A strange, abnormal detail, as has been the nature of the Inn thus far, but perhaps something to note. Say that one of them went first and intended to warn the others above, for example; such a thing was not possible with no means of sound being able to travel. Nevertheless, the trapdoor was now wide open and they could slide down the chute as they pleased, one at a time. They could move forward, or in this case, downwards. Assuming they did so. . .

*``. . .``*

. . .The situation at the bottom was *Troubling*, to say the least. Sliding down would only take a few moments, no more then twenty-five seconds, but upon landing, the landscape was truly bizarre in comparison to what they'd seen before within the Inn, as if it was a different place or *World* Entirely. One would find themselves planting harshly onto the concrete ground, placed in what seemed to be. . . A prison cell. An old, medieval-like, spacious interior with chains hung across the ceiling and dried up blood dragged across the ground, some making the shape of bodies so as to imply they were removed, but the floor was not cleaned properly. Besides that, it was largely empty, and most of the aforementioned details were present towards the right side, the left being consumed by shadow. Excluding that, however, it was merely dim and not completely dark; more interestingly, the door to said jail cell was *Open*. No one was there to guard it, and the three of them once landed could simply move forward if that was the case. There was a staircase nearby alongside other cells, but—
William
``". . .Hey! Stop. . . Don't make any noise, that thing'll. . . Hear you!"``

A loud-yet quiet enough whisper comes from the darkened, left-corner interior of the cell that was thought to be empty. A pained, panicking voice emerges, as does the arms of a stranger, pushing himself up slightly so as to reveal his face and torso to the group. He was an adult man, about late-twenties wearing a gray zipped-up jacket, with a heavy scar across his left eye concealing its acknowledged blue pupil from the right. Heavy scratches and scarring appeared around his muzzle, and his expression represented a man who was suffering tremendously beyond his facial wounds, not to mention the pauses in his tone compensating for said agony. 

He'd make his comment regardless of who landed first, and to those who came afterwards, he made a weak 'hush' indicator with his right finger, lifting his arm up with clear struggle to reach near his jaw. His gray sleeve was also bloodied, which was to only reinforce that his condition was terrible. His voice. . . It sounded *Exactly* Like the voice recording from earlier, the one that instructed them to the wrong place. *That* Was odd, but more critically, however, the 'thing' he eluded to had not made itself apparent just yet. This would not last long.
Gail
Footsteps approached, and grew louder.

A rather large, grotesque yet somewhat humanoid figure emerged from the shadows of the outside staircase, standing at what seemed to be no less then *8 feet* Tall by conventional measurement. A monstrous entity revealed itself, its glowing, yellow eyes like daggers as it, with long strides from its unnatural legs, made its way downstairs. It's body seemed to be a combination of what those in the Inn had faced thus far; the bulk of it was boney, akin to a skeleton or human absent of flesh and muscle tissue, but said bone was frail. The ligaments of the entity were held together by rusted *Metal* In key areas, in fact much similar to the material associated with those claws they'd just bested. Meanwhile, those beady-eyed maggots crawled all over its surface in various parts, and in particular covered its face excluding its eyes with an insect-mask that made it all the more unsettling. It wore some kind of half-robe or cape slung over its back that upon closer inspection. . . Was woven of something diabolical. It was the stitched together aspects of human *Faces*— as in the eyes, mouths and general facial aspects once belonging to now deceased victims— in order to hold together a gray, rotting fabric, likely possessing human flesh beyond that, as well. That all-encompassing stench from earlier was perhaps *Triple* As potent as it was upstairs and in the darkened hallway. It was nearly unbearable.

The beast grasped a weapon of similar composition to its body, including metal latches across its surface in its left hand. In its right, a flame of like-coloration to its eyes illuminated where it stood. It turned its gaze slightly, audibly *Cracking* Its neck so as to face the noise it must've heard. It stared directly at where Jensen, and the presumed three of them stood or sat at, but it did not approach. It wouldn't, unless someone gave it incentive to do so. It was the accursed Warden of this wretched prison, after all.
Matthew
A pair of more rapid, animalistic footsteps soon came down the steps to accompany The Warden, as two unnatural, unsettling black hounds stood on its left and right. Metallic collars, again like the claws, eyes once akin to the beast they served, bloodied, sharpened jaws, and pointed nails much like blades. They both sniffed the air in their search for what it was the master assumed to have seen, but like him, they only stood in the same spot trying to identify what they struggle to discern as opposed to actually charging the group, despite being right in front of them and clearly in their sight.
William
``". . .Don't move or speak, or we're dead."``
Gail
The beast speaks aloud through its mask. . . And as if speaking through a corrupted, static radio, it's voice was identical to that voice recording from earlier. . . Just like the stranger's, in fact.

***``"PICk tHe MiDDle DooR."``***
Laurie
Stared down the hatch, watching the fireball move down, illuminating the walls and way down, but it gave no real help compared to the light of the blue light above. He noticed the lack of sound. Lifting his head up to Shiro and Athena, he spoke, "It seems the only way is down. I'll drop down first. Wait a minute or two before following. We don't know what's here." His voice sounded like a soldier, a captain giving orders. With his words spoken, he gripped the sling of his rifle tightly before sliding down.
Upon hitting the ground, his boots made a soft thump. Looking around the room, it became clear that it was a prison cell, but not one that looked anything familiar to the ones he'd been in. That was when he heard the voice coming from his left, telling him to stop making noise or it would hear him. Before William was able to lift his hands to make hand signals, the *Warden* Appeared. Staring at the entity in front of him, William took notice of its appearance and the weapon it carried. It reminded him of the old war demons people spoke of back in the trenches or the myths and legends of his time. He stood silently and watched the entity; soon his eyes shifted toward the hounds, and he watched them intently too. Listening to the voice of the Warden, William was glad he was the first one down.
Humberto
His efforts with the fireball proving unfruitful, except curiously for the *Lack* Of sound it made as it descended, Shiro would take heed of William's warning and allowed him to proceed first.

He'd still listen to what would occur once the detective had made it down there, and Shiro would hear nothing from his vantage point far above before he'd descend thereafter.

His landing would be louder than William's but not by too much, and Shiro would too lay gaze upon the decrepit figure that was now attempting to quiet the new arrivals to what seemed like a ramshackle prison, with but a sole occupant in a sole cell.

This place truly was baffling, why was such a dark place below an *Inn*? There could be a multitude of reasons, but it was still troubl-

Shiro was snapped out of his pondering by a weak voice, calling out from the cell to quiet him.

In it was a man, and he looked heavily physically and mentally torn to pieces, it was clear he was in great agony.

The voice though, was strange, Shiro remembered it from the recording, and it had led them astray, almost to doom, but why?

He wanted them to be quiet, but for *What* Purpose?

That reason soon revealed itself however, as heavy footfalls would come down the hall beyond.

The smell of rot hit Shiro, even bypassing somewhat his tolerance for such scents, as a truly repulsive presence made itself known.

The thing that strode in was truly a twisted abomination, a stitched-together being of metal and bone, with an amalgamation of false faces, likely those of its victims. Its garb and gait were the only other semblances of something *Human* Shiro could tell and its weapon was like-wise ramshackle.

Accompanying it were foul beasts, they resembled some sort of dogs but mutated, their bodies lank and bony.

As their master ordered them to pick the middle door, Shiro *Could* Act, but caution warned him otherwise. Gesturing to his two companions, he'd rattle in as quiet a whisper as he could muster:

```
"It is wise we strike swiftly. Any sneaky approach risks giving our position away if we misstep and somehow they have not already detected us, likely due to blindness. I shall attempt to strike the warden with my axe, swift and sure, but what of you two? Will you handle the beasts? How should we proceed?"



```

*In the case that the beasts or Warden noticed as Shiro spoke or if William or Athena immediately attacked, he would unleash **Smoldering Debris** Upon his foes, his axe thrusting pieces of the floor, lit on fire, at the Warden and beasts positions in hopes to strike before his foes could.*

*In the case that they waited and thought up a plan of attack, Shiro would follow his companions' lead.*
Helen
Oh shit its already 4pm wtaf
James
Athena would wait a minute before jumping down the chute after Shiro and William, desummoning her Ensnaring sentinel beforehand. She would land with extremely little noise upon landing, her landing being the quietest of the three. The first things, or rather creatures that would catch her eye were the pair of hounds and the towering giant, she would then proceed to just stand there silently and observe what happens next.
Gail
The Warden continues to stare, but does not approach. The grotesque, freakishly long and bone-metallic ligaments that comprised its body shifted slightly, yet failed to indicate any sort of violent intention, let alone movement or even that it recognized that people were in front of it. Its pupils subtly dilated though the mask of disheveled human faces, bouncing back and forth, left and right. As a matter of fact, it appeared almost as if it were struggling to *Discern* If the group was actually there. It held its weapon stationary, and those unnatural maggots that crawled against its body seemed too busy feeding off its dead flesh-laden attire to pay attention.

***``"PICk tHe MiDDle DooR."``***
***``"PICk tHe MiDDle DooR."``***
***``"PICk tHe MiDDle DooR."``***
***``"PICk tHe MiDDle DooR."``***

_ _
. . .The monster repeats its previous statement over and over, in that staticky, decrepit intonation that once again mimicked the voice of the stranger. However, it seemed that it was not exactly referring to the prison cell door— actually, it wasn't referring to anything within the particular moment at all. Its voice seemed automated, or structured mechanically, perhaps so as to only utter designated statements. Meanwhile, the mutated hounds beneath its feet did sniff the air as would a normal canine in search of something, and it didn't take them long to begin clamoring, releasing what was reminiscent to a deeply disturbed form of 'barking', essentially. They did so several times over, and the one on the left motioned its head towards the cell where the group was, indicating that they were conversely aware of their presence unlike their master.

The Warden ignored them outright. As far as he could see, there wasn't anyone here but Jensen. And so, after what felt like agonizing moment, the monster turned on its heel, facing away from the trio, and began to continue on its way down the rest of the prison hall, taking slow, long steps, its body cracking with each step. It allowed its weapon to loosen over and connect with the ground, dragging it loudly as it moved. His hounds continued to emit noise, but followed him no less, not daring to disobey. The rotten smell remained, though.
William
``". . .Looks like we're clear."`` The man whispers following the departure of The Warden, sighing as he grit his teeth harshly, trying to not let the perpetual agony he was in dictate his tone. Not that it was useful information to the group, but despite only being here for what he understood to be a few days, it'd felt like centuries relative to what he endured. The beast had been keeping him alive for some reason. . . Maybe something to do with that voice recording, maybe not. Instead of just killing him, it tormented him, batting his ligaments, nearly tearing him limb by limb, only to leave with enough to writhe in agony as opposed to bleeding out. And it seemed to enjoy it.

``". . .Wouldn't fight that thing. It's— fuck, no use. Sorry to say. . . But not goin' through that middle door wasn't much better. . . Than this. Warden used my voice to. . . Ergh, say different. Beat me when I said no. Best bet is to get through the maze."`` Even still, Jensen attempts to communicate through grunts and numbing suffering. He'd rather do his best to help then rot when possible— though, based on how the last group went about things, he wasn't confident in them surviving. Unfortunately, advisory was all he was good for at this point, and that wasn't enough in a hellhole like this where the casualty rate would only keep going. The 'maze' he referred to beckoned further questioning.

``". . .How long has it been? Got here Thursday. Agency probably hasn't reported it yet."``
Laurie
Watching the entity walk away along with its beasts, William grabbed the handle of his blade and walked forward softly to the man in the cell. Taking note of his voice and his appearance, William knew what it felt to be like this, trapped in a cell and unable to die. He felt a form of anger but also pity. He spoke in a low near whisper, "What do you mean maze, and it used your voice?" His eyes shifted around the room and the smell, it didn't bother him none, maybe that's why he felt angry. Looking back at the man he spoke again, "Sorry to say but I don't think anyone from that agency of yours is coming, not alive atleast. We found a body of one upstairs, his tags were with him." He turned his head to look back at the others, and turned back to Jenson, "I reckon we're the best you got now. Tell us what happened here." His voice was filled with professionalism
James
Athena would watch as the creatures walk off, thinking to herself

```
... What are those things
```

Once the man started speaking, she would listen closely and afterwards she would start thinking of a possible plan to beat those things, with the extremely little info she has.

```
The hounds seems to be able to see, but also seem passive. Maybe if the gaint thing were to attack, the hounds would as well. And as for the gaint thing, it seems blind unless it works like the claws and clock pieces above where they attack based on intentions... If that's the case, i should remain calm. If we were to have to fight those things, ensnared sentinel would be best to fight the giant, but until then my birds might be the best choice as to keep watch or scout out areas. I should find out more info, to come up with more... Secure or better, more thought out plans. Until then, i stay low and keep quite.
```
Once everyone has finished speaking and she was done with her thought, Athena would whisper

```
"If you wish to know, You have been here for, 3... Maybe 4 days. If i may inquire, what exactly are those things, and could i also inquire more info about this maze, you claim we are in. If you have any that you are willing to share that is."
```

After asking the question, she would pull out her journal getting ready to write anything of importance.