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Post by Vaitris on Oct 2, 2022 14:26:14 GMT -6
[OOC: Kazan cautions Kail and Edge about the hunt, then heads off down the eastern fork.]
Dismissed, Kazan stepped back to the other side of the fire, gaze intensifying but focused on nothing in particular. Tokens. Like some sort of halfling game? What foolishness. But a hunt, that was more the peril he had been expecting. His thoughts turned back to the beast carved on the doorway to this place. Bringing it to his side, though less satisfying than outright defeat, was probably the better option in his current state. But he had no examples in Sumaren's lore to help him here. And he had never worked with turning the oraho traitor back home.
He snorted when he heard the halfling man's vague descriptions of each of the branching paths. Non-answers. Any direction was as good as the other. The giant and the angry spirit had already wandered off. Lingering here was accomplishing little.
"There is a hunter on the loose, and we are the prey. You should keep a watchful eye on the trees." Was all he offered the remaining two, though his gaze only acknowledged the deer creature.
Then he turned toward the eastern path only to abruptly pause, feeling the absence of his puppet like a knife wound. To have eyes ahead of him, or in the woods... He was a blind, flailing thing in the darkness alone as he was. But he wouldn't allow that fear to founder him. He took a steadying breath and set off down the road, apprehension still curling the tip of his tail.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 2, 2022 17:40:43 GMT -6
[OOC: Kail takes the lizard and heads down the northern road.]
Kail scowled at the vague answer, tempted to kill the man and be done with it. But the centaurs words gave him pause - the scent of blood, the sound of a scuffle, was not something he could risk right now.
Instead, he scooped up the lizard, mindful to keep his claws angled away from the soft underbelly.
“You grab the mouse.” He waved his free hand at Edge, tone curt. “Let’s get outta here. I’m going north.”
The pony has taken the eastern road, which left the western one untraveled. His words were an unspoken invitation for the Darai to come with him - two eyes were better than one, and he could always use the man as a distraction or sacrifice for whatever they encountered along the way.
The wendigo began to walk down the northern road without a word of thanks or acknowledgment to the woodsman. He hoped their fire dwindled and the smell of the meat bought beasts upon their camp, but he somehow felt that he and his red-handed companions were the only ones at risk.
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Post by MP on Oct 2, 2022 18:21:33 GMT -6
[Kazan]
The eastern path takes a direct path through the trees. Somehow, despite the endless expanse of trees that Jed is wandering, Kazan finds that the gloom recedes after only a modest gallop's distance. Here, the woods give way to a clearing of swaying grasses, a large full moon hanging coldly over it all.
The feathery ends of the grasses reach almost above your head. But even through this, you can see the shape of the lone stone towering over the opposite end of the field. Its silhouette carves a great swath from the night sky, nearly touching the low-hanging moon. Even from here, you feel the quiet pulse of its power through the soil, the soft pull of shadows, like hounds craning toward their master.
Three paths, deer trails, perhaps, lead through the grasses toward the stone. The left path leads toward several earthen mounds of varying heights. Each one stands well over your head, the earth around them sandy. The central path is a long expanse of dead grass and sand that the wind has carried over from the earthen mounds. This path offers little cover and takes the most exposed path through the field. Along the right path, the field gives way to marshy terrain. Cattails rise through dark water, and though the path looks wadable, it looks to be slower going than the other two paths. The latter half of each path becomes straight, even terrain. It seems that no matter terrain you choose, the second half of the path will leave you exposed.
As you survey the terrain, the peak of the stone turns toward the forest with flat, white eyes. The top of its silhouette lifts skyward - not a peak, but a great bird perched atop the stone. Its blot out the moon as it rises on silent wingbeats. The dead white eyes rove over the ground as it wings a slow circle above. Standing in the treeline, Kazan seems to have escaped its notice. If he makes it to the second half of any of these paths, the bird is sure to take notice.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Oct 2, 2022 18:26:11 GMT -6
(OOC: Shocked and Unsettled, Edge attempts to grab the paper and figure out what’s on it. Will try to pick up the mouse, if possible. Heads down the northern road regardless of rodent-related success.)
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Post by MP on Oct 2, 2022 21:17:11 GMT -6
[Kail and Edge]
The note Edge retrieves from the fireside is slightly singed at one corner, but the message is still readable. Penned in brown ink and a shaky hand, it reads:
The hunter came here to study the forest’s predators, but lately he’s been acting off. Hunched over that notebook, using that horrible stuff for ink. I don’t like how he keeps pushing me to read these notes of his. They seem harmless, but every hair on the back of my neck stood up when he tried to show me the last one. Tonight, I’m going to tear up that notebook, and then I’m going to try to get away. Whatever it says, I don’t want to read the last one.
Meanwhile, Kail finds the golden lizard complacent in his hand. It rests on his palm as lazily as it had upon its root, staring dully at the woods around it. When the lizard pulled from its perch, the mouse leaps to the ground, evading Edge's hand as he reaches for it and vanishing into the dark of a nearby burrow.
The movement does, however, reveal a second note where the mouse had been sitting. Though slightly scratched by tiny claws, the message is still perfectly readable. This one is penned in a different hand, the ink an off-black that starts an ache at the back of your skull.
Coexistence is possible even with a monster if you understand its habits. What drives it, or drives it back. With careful observation and a healthy respect, I was able to finish my foraging with little problem. With their new finds in hand, Kail and Edge set off into the woods. Like Kazan, they find that the northern road cuts a straight path through the maze of the trees. The gloom remains as oppressive as ever, but a warm light soon appears through the trees. There is a small log cabin nestled in the woods, candlelight gleaming through its windows. They hear no voices or signs of habitation. But the steps to the front door are sturdy and neat, and the door opens easily.
It opens to the snarling jaws of a beast. Curving claws and four wicked tusks gleam stark against a bristling pelt. The black beast is crouched just beside the door, but it doesn’t move to attack you. Its eyes stare vacantly ahead, white and packed with fluff. Only taxidermy. You are standing in a one room hunting lodge, decorated wall to wall with mounted heads - boar, fox, cougar, eagle, even a huge serpentine head, baring fangs the size of your hand. By the back left corner, five gleaming wall mounts have been left empty, and five stuffed heads lie piled on the floor in no particular order: the snarling head of a wolf, the elegant head of a stag, the sleek head of a crow, the broad head of a bear, and the shaggy head of a wolverine. The empty mounts are arranged as if at the five points of a star. A plaque at the center reads thus:
Wolves and bears never eat together
Deer prefer a lookout spot, but they’re not afraid of what they can outrun
Crows are always looking for easy meals
Wolverines refuse to bow their heads to any rival
A pot of soup simmers top a wood stove in the back right corner. This soup is clearly destined for the small, sturdy dining table at the center of the room. An empty bowl and spoon have been set out in advance. In the back left corner, an almost afterthought, a raised bedframe holds a shabby cot and blanket. Above the headboard, a wall click ticks away the time above the headboard, each tick an oddly weighty thump. There single hand on the clock appears to be stuck. Every time it tries to move, the hand jumps back in place with a sad quiver.
[Kazan] The silent rush of wingbeats pass back over the clearing, the moon vanishing briefly behind dark feathers. By now, it's clear that it doesn't see you from your sheltered position. While the center path offers little protection from its gaze should you venture out, the earthen mounds along the left path and the shallow marsh along the right path may provide enough shelter to venture farther out, at least the three paths flatten out in the latter half of the field.
[Jed and Bruse] The trees don't react to Bruse as he joins the woodcutting expedition. But as Jed continues his search, the trees track his progress. It's an uneasy feeling, their movement so imperceptible that at times, it seems to be one's imagination. Yet no matter where you go, the white eyes follow.
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Oct 3, 2022 15:03:55 GMT -6
[OOC: Jedidiah reacts to bruse before moving to inspect tree before beginning to chop it down. Keeps his guard up from the eyes staring at him. ]
Jedidiah:
He did not like the many eyes on him at all. He did however strangely felt conforted by the cold pressure behind him that was Bruse.
"Hey buddy. . .in case this goes bad, I apologize for putting you in the bad position. " he quietly spoke at the spirit. He quietly pondered if he were to hand Bruse the axe, though that might just make Bruse a target instead. Can ghosts hold things? . .
He inspected one of the trees with a small trunk. . .before moving to chop the tree down. . . He'll try an take it to the old man and and keep a portion of it to fashion into pikes for himself. At least some of the branches. If not the top portion of the tree.
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Post by Pearl Dragon on Oct 3, 2022 17:27:46 GMT -6
[Bruse moves to stop Jed from chopping and suggests a different approach. He leans in and rests against the tree gently, while channeling thoughts and questions to it. If Jed does not heed his warning, he will instead back away and wait for what will happen next.]
As Bruse followed the giant, he gazed up at the faces. Their pale eyes were watchful and almost seemed judgmental about their task.
The spirit did not think this was best. As Jed greeted him and approached a tree. Bruse continue to his front and held a large paw up in front of the tree in a motion of pause right as the giant was about to swing. He peered down at the large man, eyes narrowed to intense points.
"I know this may not be what you wish to hear, giant. But it may seem your act of kindness may be a fool's errand." His voice rumbled as he spoke. He was not sure if the man would be able to hear him, but he tried none the less. Something about this place seemed to suggest he would though. Bruse looked back up to the trees and their faces. "These spirits, if that is what they are, may take offense to this sort of intrusion. I would advise another approach."
With this said, the last word rolling like a distant thunder, Bruse lowered his paw. He then turned to the tree, still looking up. Its gaze met his, and he lowered his front to the trunk, leaning forward until he rest his forehead gently against it. From this stance, he channeled his thoughts, communicating in a typical spiritual fashion to the entity. Questions of fire, fuel, and the old man. Where had the man gotten their wood, was it taken without permission, or would the forest be willing to provide for them.
If the giant continued to chop, he would back away from the tree and gaze upon the man in solemn silence, unsure of what might happen next. But if not, he would continue to attempt communication with the tree.
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Post by MP on Oct 3, 2022 17:44:48 GMT -6
[Jed and Bruse]
The white eyes stare. The trees give Bruse no answer. But on second glance at the woodsman's fire, the logs aren't the black of normal charcoal. Even where they protrude from the flame, the wood is the same tarry color as the trees around the two explorers.
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Post by Vaitris on Oct 3, 2022 18:20:23 GMT -6
[OOC: Kazan takes the left path to go inspect the mounds.]
The trees opened up before him and swaying grass sprung up from the bare earth instead. The faces above were gone, replaced by a moon full and round as a dish. It spilled light over him and three separate paths that all converged on a tall stone tower at the far end of the field. Was this the shrine spoken of earlier? Halflings had such odd and varying ideas about these things, he wasn’t sure.
At the peak of it, bright white eyes opened and turned to face him. A kankai spread its wings and took flight, wheeling over the tall grass like a vulture. It would be a trivial thing to kill were he armed. But as he wasn’t, Kazan chose cautious action instead.
Taking the left hand path, he advanced quietly towards the mounds, watching the sky above him as much as the trail before him.
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Post by Pearl Dragon on Oct 3, 2022 18:36:46 GMT -6
Bruse's attempt at communication was fruitless. Either the trees were not entities of any kind, or they were not capable of thought.
The spirit opened his eyes and looked to Jed before rumbling a quick "Nothing." He stepped back to allow the giant to proceed however he may. "They do not, or will not, commune with me."
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Oct 3, 2022 18:41:11 GMT -6
[OOC: Jedidiah jumps from Bruse talking and is happy he can talk to him back?!? He does stop to hear Bruse out.]
Jedediah:
He jolted, jerking the axe away apon Bruse talking. "Bruse, I can hear you?. " he replied. It both spooked and made him happy he could hear and understand Bruse.
He had immediately stopped, Bruse catching him mid swing, hince part of the startle, the rest being atcually understanding Bruse.
"Well. . . If you think it's not a good idea, I'm open for alternative suggestions. " he replied. "We will need a means to protect ourselves and keep potential animals or opponents at an arms length. . . Something we can use to poke for traps as well. . I don't think the guy will let us keep his axe, rather not make an enemy of someone familiar with the area. "
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Post by NightshadeVII on Oct 3, 2022 20:55:19 GMT -6
(OOC: Edge relays the information in the notes to Kail. Upon reaching the cabin, he warns Kail not to eat the soup and suggests they look around. Edge investigates the clock and bedframe.)
While they walked, Edge read the notes quietly, feeling vulnerable the moment he dedicated his attention to the small bits of paper, his back exposed to the woods. The dim light didn’t help, though the words thankfully weren’t too hard to make out. The Darai shuddered while he read, quickly coming to wish he hadn’t picked up the notes at all. He digested the information quietly, as he nursed his beginning headache. That ink, whatever it was, something wasn’t right about it and the Darai had a feeling he did not want to know what it was made of.
“Can you read ‘em out?” Kail spoke quietly as they walked, ears pricked and his gaze watchful. “And what’s ya name, anyway? You ain’t human, yeah?”
Edge snapped to attention as the sudden sound reminded him of his companion, then as he processed the words, he mustered a small, but genuine smile.
“That obvious, huh?”, he asked, his tone goodnatured, “Name’s Edge and no, I’m not human. Hopefully that can be an advantage here… what’s your name?” Then, after a moments thought, as similarities became too much to ignore, he added: “I take it you aren’t human either?” Whether it was a gut feeling or logical thinking that had brought him to that half-conclusion, the young man with his pale eyes seemed just a bit too similar to some people that Edge knew from home, years ago. Or perhaps it was just his homesickness rearing his head again.
After the short introductions, Edge read the notes out loud to the icy-eyed young man. The words tasted bitter and wrong in his mouth, sticking to his teeth like bile. The second note, the one he assumed to be penned by the ‘Hunter’ was even worse than the first, unease crawling deeper under his skin with every syllable. As the Darai read the second note out loud, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand, trying to remedy the returning headache. Hopefully they wouldn’t find more notes from the hunter, the Darai wasn’t sure he wanted to know what they said.
“So, this hunter guy seems like someone to stay away from”, Edge said, looking at Kail, “though we should probably keep an eye out for these papers… Maybe whoever left the first note found a way out of here?”
When the two reached the candle lit cabin, the sight failed to put the Darai at ease. Like everything in this place, something about it was off, like things that never fully met or structures that should be impossible, yet persisted anyway. But they didn’t have much other choice than head inside, now did they? The inside wasn’t much better than the outside, the feeling of being watched my the many wall mounts sending a shiver down Edge’s spine. The Darai had never liked wall mounts, but here, with the context of the notes, the taxidermied animals seemed almost like a malicious pressence. Had this cabin been anywhere else, it could’ve been cozy, maybe, but that sentiment failed to reach Edge here.
“Let’s look around?”, Edge suggested, looking to Kail in question, “and let’s not eat the soup. I have a bad feeling about this.”
With that said, Edge moved over to the bed and clock, looking over both, checking for notes and other useful items, wondering if the wall mounted clock could be worked with in any way. It seemed to be broken, the hand stuck and unmoving, despite the clock counting time passing. Strange. Maybe it could be fixed? Thoughts raced through the Darai’s mind as he studied their surroundings. The sooner they could get out of this place the better.
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 3, 2022 21:25:30 GMT -6
[OOC: Kail samples the soup if it smells safe, and places the wolverine head on the top point of the diamond before asking Edge for help]
“I’m a wendigo. Names Kail.” He replied, casting a sideways look at the man’s visible markings. His pace slowed as they neared the cabin, thinking over the rambling words Edge had read out. If the unhinged hunter was inside, a fight was sure to follow.
He pushed the cabin door open cautiously, hissing under his breath at the sight of the taxidermied beast. Nothing he’d ever seen before, as large as a bear - yet still dwarfed by the massive reptilian head on the wall.
“Don’t look, little buddy.” He half smirked to himself, glancing at the lizard on his shoulder. It didn’t seem too bothered, it’s beady eyes staring flatly ahead. His humour faded as he walked further into the cabin. A monster hunter, by the looks of it.
He wandered over to the stove, looking at the soup and taking a hopeful sniff. What was it made of? The Darais voice gave him pause, and he scowled a little at the warning.
If it smelt fairly normal, the wendigo would dip a clawed finger into the liquid to sample it before wandering back over to the empty plaques. He squinted at the riddle, sounding out each letter under his breath. It was a painfully slow process, and by the time he’d deciphered the words his scowl seemed to be stuck in place.
“Yeah, I ain’t gonna be able to figure this shit out.” He groused, reaching down to hold the stag head aloft by an antler. Each weighty thunk of the clock felt like a warning. Like it was a timed challenge. He placed the deer back on the floor, cautiously, swapping it for the wolverine.
If it didn’t bow it’s head, did that mean it should go on top? After a second of consideration he placed it on the upper point of the diamond, hoping their would be some kind of indication this was the correct placement.
“Whatcha think, this right?” He called out impatiently, hoping the Edge would be better at solving it than he was.”
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Post by MP on Oct 3, 2022 23:18:26 GMT -6
[Kail and Edge]
The stew, while hot to the touch, seems safe enough to eat. But even to the endless hunger of a wendigo, it tastes somehow disappointing. Unfinished. A final ingredient would surely complete the meal. But looking around the cabin, Kail is unable to think of the perfect ingredient.
The hand of the clock continues to thump away the time. The longer you listen, the longer you're certain that the ticking is irregular, a second beat repeating and echoing just on the heels of the first. The hand strains at the 6 o'clock position, as if the smallest push might nudge it back into motion.
In his search of the cabin, Edge finds a cookbook under the central table. He almost misses it through the wide, sheltering legs of the table, which are connected by wide planks that hide the under area from view. A torn scrap of paper has been used to bookmark a page for venison stew. All ingredients on this page have been checked off except for one. It seems that the would-be chef didn't have herbs for the stew.
On closer examination, Edge also finds that the bookmark is another note, this one written in a familiar off-black scrawl. The words look easily legible - if he chooses to read them.
Meanwhile, Kail's attempts to place the stuffed heads elicit no response from the deer or wolverine. But something in their glassy eyes seems expectant. Perhaps all four plaques require an offering before Kail will see results. The lizard watches from Kail's shoulder, its flat gaze somehow unimpressed.
However, his efforts do put him in easy view of the window next to the stuffed black beast. A crow is sitting on the outside sill, ruffling its feathers. Kail can faintly hear its voice through the glass as it mutters, its voice a hollow and fuzzy imitation of a human voice.
"Tick tock. Tick tock. The tomb is open. The ritual's begun."
[Jed and Bruse]
Something moves in the trees above Bruse and Jed as they discuss. A pair of eyes tip down to regard them - not the dead white eyes of the trees, but the clever eyes of a crow. It quickly loses interest, preening its feathers and pecking at the smaller crow beside it.
"The tomb is open," croaks the larger crow. The imitation of a human voice echoes uncomfortably through the woods.
"The ritual's begun then," the smaller crow clacks in return. "I said they'd be the first."
[Kazan]
A lone crow watches Kazan's progress from the woods. Its beak moves as it preens through its feathers, and a muffled, scratchy imitation of a human voice drifts down to the centaur through the dark.
"The tomb is open. The ritual's begun then. They've already moved on."
As Kazan approaches the earthen mounds, he finds them grooved by countless tiny channels and burrowed through with countless tiny holes. In one of these holes, Kazan finds a scrap of paper rolled up and wedged in one of the opening. Handwriting marks one side of the paper, somehow forming characters that Kazan can recognize, should he choose to read it.
His forward movement is followed by a deep silence. The trees have hushed. The mounds stand like silent witnesses as a shadow breaks over Kazan. The winged shadow comes from the trees in deadly silence, so swiftly that even a centaur could not have hoped to escape, had he been more exposed. Instead, Kazan feels the rush of wind as talons sweep past his head, followed by a spray of loose earth over his shoulders where the bird strikes the mounds and retreats.
Something tickles along Kazan's arm and falls to the ground with a soft but audible click. The insect is a fiery orange that deepens to blood red at the tips of its oversized mandibles. It flails on its back for a moment, then recovers and begins to scurry along the ground. More insects begin to emerge from the damaged mound, clacking their mandibles rapidly.
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Post by Pearl Dragon on Oct 4, 2022 15:25:57 GMT -6
[Bruse leaves the decision of the trees and axe to Jedidiah, but suggests they move along after hearing the crows.]
At Jedidiah's mention of protection and traps, Bruse considered the axe. Things like animals and traps were never a concern for Bruse, but the giant would definitely need it. And...now that Bruse thought about it, perhaps here he would need to consider these things a little closer. At least for now. And then there was the question of the older man, whom had leant them the axe. It seemed up to Jedidiah if they kept the axe or not, Bruse was indifferent.
"If you wish." Bruse said simply, allowing for Jedidiah to continue with whatever the giant thought best.
Overhead, a voice crackled, drawing Bruse's attention in an instant. The spirit's gaze snapped upward unsettlingly fast, locking onto the oily black birds above. They were discussing something about a tomb being open, and a ritual. Bruse didn't like the sound of a ritual, and at that his mane picked up for just a moment, bristling. At the smaller crow's regard of "they", there was further concern from Bruse.
"We should go." He said, speaking to Jedidiah, but eyes still locked on the crows.
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