Reading the signs, travelers will find out that they are located in the town of South Sister, on the Lighthouse Isle. There is indication that there may have been other towns on the isle. For now though, there is only South Sister.

And within South Sister, there are step stools littered throughout the town, and even on the roads. There are hand written notes stuck to the front of them with the words “Trust Fall!” written on the front.

Standing on top of it does nothing, but when there’s a traveler on top and another traveler in front of them, the effect activates.

The traveler on the step stool will feel the increasing need to jump, and even turn around while doing so. The traveler still on the ground will have the realization that they need to catch the other person-

But they will have the choice of how to catch them, and if they wish to catch their falling companion. If they catch, even if they fumble, nothing happens. Both travelers can laugh about it. But if they decide not to catch…

Once the traveler lands on the ground, the would-be catcher vanishes, and finds themselves in a high up location. This could be on the top of houses, in trees, buildings in town...and the truly unfortunate will find themselves on the edge of a cliff with no way to come down safely.

Not unless they’re caught.

And if they do manage to fall off the cliff with someone or someones to catch them, they will hear a laugh in their ear, and quiet words, only heard by them.

“I hope you’ve learned from this.”

Thankfully, not everything is cliff dives and trust falls. There are locations to explore, things to see, people to meet!

Well, with one small problem. Or problems. It seems that some Home Alone fanatic decided to give Lighthouse Isle all manner of traps. Most of them are of the pit fall variety, while others are nets and padded bear traps.

Some of them entangle the local wildlife of birds (such as crows, starlings, and seagulls), as well as the other local fauna. But the majority contain people, unable to get out of their situation. They plead for help, but they have little to offer in return.

Those who refuse straightaway will notice that they are slowly crumbling into ash, starting with their fingertips. The process will take half an hour unless they offer help to someone in need- anyone at this rate.

Those who promise to help and betray the trapped by stealing from them, pretending to help and walking away, or simply lying about their intention to not help will feel the effects far more keenly, as well as have two other effects on top of this.

One, it will be a very painful crumbing experience, and for two, they will only have fifteen minutes to reverse the effects. If they fail to reserve the effects, they will wake up half an hour later, caught in one of the traps.

Thankfully, those who free the entrapped will be overcome with a sensation of joy as they fulfill their word, and will be approached by a cloaked figure.

They will ask for the people who freed the trapped to show their inner forearm, where a blue thumb print will be pressed onto their skin.

The cloaked figure will walk away soon after, but in touching the thumb print, there is a sensation of confidence.

However, if the traveler does betray someone after, the thumbprint will vanish. The confidence will be replaced by the sensation that they made a horrible mistake.

Instead of stumbling around on the outside, somehow the traveler has found their way inside, or were pushed by unseen hands. Once the traveler is inside, the doors and windows are locked. There is no way to break out of the '70s themed cottage. Any attempts to use physical or other forces cause it to bounce back, causing injury for anyone in its path.

But there is a way out, as written on the coffee table:

Work together and you will see your freedom; do not and find your death. You have two hours.

Good luck.

And with that, an egg timer appears on the table, and starts to tick, loudly.

To escape, travelers will have to work together in order to open boxes, find clues in empty jars in the fridge, read directions via black light, popping balloons, and other strange activities to find the keys that open the front door to the one story cottage.

If it is only one of the travelers that is working on getting out, then the timer will speed up as a penalty and ensure the punishment for failure comes all the closer.

Should the travelers manage to work together and unlock the front door, they are let out, and the door seals shut behind them, unable to be opened.

If they fail to pass the escape room...

They will feel something burning, starting from their fingers and soles of their feet, before sweeping over their body before they pass out from the pain.

When the travelers come to, they will find themselves slumped against the outside of the cottage they were in, and the alchemy symbol for brimstone burned into their cheek like a brand. And with it, the travelers will feel themselves slowed down- as if sleep deprived or drunk, but with more self awareness.

It is possible to gain multiple brandings, and there is no way to erase it, even with using healing powers. Should travelers have gone into a cottage before, they will find that the puzzles are different enough that they do not know the immediate solution, as if it changes for every different scenario that arises.

Eventually things start to shift. It’s difficult to tell if it was supposed to go away naturally or if it was a sudden. But all are brought into the dark space. It’s impossible to tell how large this space is, and there is no way to escape.

Travelers are not alone for long, however. Shadowy beings made of liquid darkness form and take on the vague appearance of rivals, bosses, personal antagonists, annoying frienemies, even fears- opposite of the traveler, six feet away.

This is where the sigils and the thumbprints come into play. Those with the thumbprints feel a rush of elation, and their abilities and weapons (if they have any) are enhanced. Those with the brimstone sigils find themselves shackled on the left ankle, by a heavy stone, which only grows bigger with the number of sigils.

There’s another soft, taunting laugh, and suddenly a bright, large sign appears in the background, away from the travelers and their shadowy opponents.

BOSS RUSH, BEGIN.

And thus, the figures start to move towards the travelers. Travelers are free to help other travelers in this, as this is a do or die situation. This will only stop if every enemy is dead (which can be accomplished by blunt force trauma, magic, or whatever means at their disposal, including the shackled stone) or when all travelers are dead.

When the travelers die, they cannot be revived, surprisingly. In the end, there's the sensation of being unworthy. And then something internal snaps, and there's a horrible burning pain throughout the body.

And then there's nothing.

If the traveler somehow manages to survive...there’s a feeling of assessment, as if eyes are raking over their bodies- particularly those who received the blue thumbprint.

That somehow, they may do.

A moment (or more, it’s difficult to say) they feel themselves snap to awareness back in their own world. It’s uncertain if it was a nightmare or a prelude of what is to come.

Travelers can only hope it was just a bad dream.