Ever Onward: A Child's Journey
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Chapter 1-4: Bending the Knee
PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
You look at the creature, its eyes measuring you intently. At first, you entertain the notion of calling off the deal before you get yourself in a bigger mess than you already are. Making any sort of deal with a complete stranger of alien nature doesn't seem like a terribly smart idea; even if they were human, you remember from your mischievous ventures that success almost always depended on your ability to read people and make accurate predictions. And if you could hide things fairly well, who knows how good this thing is at it. Of all the tales you've been told in your youth, none have declared anything good or trustworthy came from a creature of the dark.
But then you remember what happened only moments after you freed yourself from the boulder. Remember that all-encompassing darkness, and the horrible feeling of being so lost, scared, and alone. You had nothing but a candle that failed to give you any comfort or security. If you turn down a chance for help, even from a stranger, you'll go right back to square one. You have no idea where you are and what stands between you and getting home, let alone how to get back there in the first place. You might not ever get a chance like this again, if something outright hostile came your way after this beast left. In spite of the risks, you had no choice but to seek as much help as possible if you were to have any chance of surviving long.
Careful not to waste this unique opportunity, you think carefully before saying anything, and run through all the options available. Which, admittedly, isn't that much considering you know next to nothing about your visitor. Assuming the thing was telling the truth about its status as a "king", you could instead request that it imparts some sort of power or knowledge to you in exchange for service. It would definitely be more useful to you in the long-term than a lantern, enticing as it is. But you quickly dismiss the idea; you don't really have much of value to offer in turn, and consider how full of itself the being is, it would probably take offense to demands for power or knowledge with mere trinkets to compensate. Though it remains civil, this is still a precarious situation you really don't want to push your luck in.
Which makes coming up with a good trade deal difficult for you. You don't really have much to offer that you think would be very appealing to the creature, and you're not even that sure how valuable it considers its lanterns to be. What could you possibly offer that it would be interested in?
Well...if it is a king, it would probably like servants, right? You're not really comfortable with the idea though. Is it worth sacrificing your freedom just for a lantern? It also said it found you useless for labor. But you remind yourself you're not only trying to get a lantern here. You can figure out gaining freedom later; now, you have to convince the "king" of your usefulness. Considering its disposition up until now, you figure stroking its ego is usually a good start. At the same time, you don't think you want to come off as too sycophantic. The creature seemed impressed by your willingness to approach it, and it would be to be too much of a tonal shift for you to suddenly go all servile on it.
So, you settle for bowing formally as you start. "Most exalted lord", you began, piquing the beast's interest with a quirked eyebrow. "Thank you very much for agreeing to trade. I realize I don't have much to offer, so in exchange for humbly requesting a lantern, I instead offer something less tangible. My... direct service".
The beast hummed as it replied. "An interesting proposal. But do recall your deficiency in labor. How exactly are you to bring noble-worthy service?"
"I shall clarify, milord", you resumed. "While I am indeed physically weak currently, you yourself said there was a difference in me from others among my kind. A potential. It is this potential I offer, in direct service for you to guide and benefit from as thanks for your gracious hospitality". Rising up to a straight standing position again, you look into its eyes as you conclude. "Would this be to your liking?"
At first, the Nemean said nothing, though you could see the metaphorical wheels in his head begin to turn. Rising once more to its feet, the beast paced somewhat, looking at the ground as it slowly circled you once more, deep in contemplation. It was only after a minute's passing that it deigned to speak again.
"I must admit, monkey, your words are quite tempting. Not often has a being of your stature so willingly acknowledged royalty. Most I have crossed paths with dared defiance; walked the coward's path and fled, or even arrogantly sought my flesh and blood. Your divergence from those equally squalid paths demonstrates your unique character. Yet..."
Here, he returns his gaze to your person. "Would you dare assume yourself the first to catch the eye of one such as I? There are other humans, other children, who stand as your equal, whelp. Others who a stronger, smarter, more worth my time. And my time is precious to me. So tell me, if I must spend even seconds on an inferior, a stranger, what makes you the best candidate? What separates this lamb from the herd?"
This throws you somewhat through a loop, but fortunately, after a brief pause, a pretty good response comes to mind.
"With due respect, if you speak the truth", you reply slowly, "then you must receive this opportunity rarely, if you've ever had it before. If most would rather run or fight, then who else is as willing to serve you as me? I am a blank slate, unsullied and fresh, easier than any for you to mold into something worthy of your presence. I also don't require great maintenance; you can leave me to grow and learn as you go about more worthy business, then return to find me so much better than before. And even if I should fail to meet your expectations..."
You pause, swallowing down a lump in your throat before concluding your explanation. "Then I suppose you are perfectly capable of casting me aside or killing me for wasting your time. In short, I dare say you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain from my service".
Finished with your proposal, you wait quietly as the Nemean comes to a stop directly in front of you. Looking eye to eye once again, you watch as he leans forward to measure you more closely. Silence reigns for what feels like ages as the stare-down stretches on, his human face mere inches from yours...
At last, the beast returns to its previously upright position and smirks, siting down and raising its shoulders up and down in the apparent motion of a shrug (an odd thing to observe). "A fair argument, I suppose. There are a few matters I can recall men being superior to Nemeans in, as few as they are and loathe as I am to admit it", the creature snorts. "Very well. Be grateful, worm, for I have deemed you worthy of entering my service, for however long your short, pitiful life should last. But first, the oath, as tradition dictates. What name did thine birth earn?"
It takes you a few seconds to realize it's asking what your name is. Sheepishly, you rub the back of your head as you stutter out an answer. "Um, I...I'm afraid I don't...Don't have one, milord".
At this, it raises both brows. "Really now? You were born to such poverty that even a name was beyond you? Yet you still believe yourself worthy above all else?" At his question you flinch and look away. It would be disastrous if simply lacking a name ended up screwing you over.
As you worry, though, the Nemean then gives you a toothy grin. "My, my, you are a curious thing. I look forward to observing how you grow from this point on. Since you do not have a name", it continues, now scratching its chin in contemplation, "then it falls to me to bestow a title. But what reference would one of your stature deserve?"
It doesn't take long for the self-proclaimed king to come up with something, however. Clapping it's hands together, it speaks confidently. "Ah, yes, that would work suitably. From this moment onward, the title of 'Tick' will be yours. For you are but an insect thriving on my existence".
You have to suppress a growl at the unflattering nickname, but don't get to complain before it plops its meaty head upon your head. "Kneel, Tick, and sweat your allegiance to me".
Complying, you steadily sink to your knees and speak, the words strangely pouring from your mouth as though they had been memorized. "From this day to my last, I do swear my life to the pride of the Nemean King. All that His Excellence asks of me shall be done with neither pause nor inadequacy. I am humbled that a lesser being such as I could be chosen, and will work to ensure a day of the World Pride comes".
The trance ends as the hand is retracted, and the beast rises again from its seat. "Splendid. I myself promise this retainer shall not now nor ever go to waste or be neglected. Now that our current business is concluded", it declared as you heard the notable clunking noise of a lantern hitting the ground, "you will now receive thine first task. A test, to ensure my trust was not misplaced".
As it continues to speak, you are lifted once more into the air by its chinned appendage, only this time you are more securely held directly underneath your arms. At the same time, the Nemean tears into the ground, careful to carve as triangular a shape as possible in the earth. You are held so you can see both the shape and the direction the top-most point directs towards.
"In this direction", it informs you "lies one of many settlements in which you are to collect tribute from the populace. But remember this tribute is not in wealth, no; it is in resources, in hides and bone and oh so succulent meats. Of each these three things, you are to bring before me 10 pounds worth. I care not how this is achieved, only that my will be done. Additionally, I expect notable improvement in your being by the time we next meet. Arrival is simple; you will follow the arrow I have generously chosen to mark for your benefit. Never turn or stray from the straight path forward, and you should come to your destination within an hour, barring rest or interruption. You will know you have arrived when you eyes lie upon it".
With that, you are dropped once again, though at least this time you land on your feet. The beast begins to walk away, shooting you a parting glance as it does so. "You have seven cycles, Tick. Remember that disappointing me is unwise".
As it enters the darkness, you quickly shout after it. "Wait, My Lord, how will I find you again?"
Stopping, but not turning to face you, your "King"'s reply is simple. "Fear not Tick, for it is I who will find you. Why do you think I deemed you worthy of touch?"
With that, the Nemean at last disappeared into the darkness, leaving you alone once more. Thinking on it's parting words, you quickly realize what it meant by them and shudder, revolted that you got the monster's stench on you. Oh well, at least you got what you want without going full on sycophant and breaking out what flowery language you knew. You don't think you could live with yourself after stooping to that level.
Glancing around the relatively small area explored, you quickly spot the lantern dropped and quickly pick it up. It was somewhat shoddily made, but it seemed sturdy enough to resist most mundane impacts. Opening its lid, you peek inside to examine its innards. It appears that there's four slots for candles, with only one of them occupied by a hand-crafted wax candle. Combined with your own candle, the object should suit you well enough.
Walking over, picking up and placing your own candle inside, the glow sure enough doubled in strength, and a noticeably larger area was lit up. Now, there was pretty much no reason to stick around this place anymore. Since your anxiety thankfully dissipated, you definitely don't want to push your luck any further than you have to just by being here, and you would be eternally pleased to never see this place again.
...Well, there was one last thing. You glance over at the boulder, it's creepy engraved face staring impassively off into the distance. As you considered it, you initially never wanted to see the thing again and leave it here, especially if its real owner comes back looking for it. But thinking on it, this could actually be useful. After all, it's a big, sturdy object that you're sure most things would struggle to get through, and rolling around in it would hide you from anything looking for humans to snack on. The problem of course being that while in it, you'd have no idea where you're going. Not to mention the possibility of getting stuck or antagonizing someone unintentionally.
Alternatively, you could just roll it with you. Maybe even sell it to whoever's interested. You don't know a lot about the world, but you're sure there's at least one weirdo out there who'd want this thing if you didn't. But rolling it outside would be a bigger pain than rolling inside, as you can still feel the various aches all over your body; at least inside you could stop and rest in relative safety.
Sighing, you eventually come to an uneasy decision.
[ ] Take the boulder with you. It'll be a pain to roll it, but might come in handy in the future.
[ ] You'll climb back inside and roll the boulder. The protection is definitely worth the effort.
[ ] Forget the boulder. You don't need it anyway.
That final matter settled, you at long last gather what courage you have and depart into the deep, blinding darkness, with only the glow of your new lantern to guide the way. Your journey home begins.
But then you remember what happened only moments after you freed yourself from the boulder. Remember that all-encompassing darkness, and the horrible feeling of being so lost, scared, and alone. You had nothing but a candle that failed to give you any comfort or security. If you turn down a chance for help, even from a stranger, you'll go right back to square one. You have no idea where you are and what stands between you and getting home, let alone how to get back there in the first place. You might not ever get a chance like this again, if something outright hostile came your way after this beast left. In spite of the risks, you had no choice but to seek as much help as possible if you were to have any chance of surviving long.
Careful not to waste this unique opportunity, you think carefully before saying anything, and run through all the options available. Which, admittedly, isn't that much considering you know next to nothing about your visitor. Assuming the thing was telling the truth about its status as a "king", you could instead request that it imparts some sort of power or knowledge to you in exchange for service. It would definitely be more useful to you in the long-term than a lantern, enticing as it is. But you quickly dismiss the idea; you don't really have much of value to offer in turn, and consider how full of itself the being is, it would probably take offense to demands for power or knowledge with mere trinkets to compensate. Though it remains civil, this is still a precarious situation you really don't want to push your luck in.
Which makes coming up with a good trade deal difficult for you. You don't really have much to offer that you think would be very appealing to the creature, and you're not even that sure how valuable it considers its lanterns to be. What could you possibly offer that it would be interested in?
Well...if it is a king, it would probably like servants, right? You're not really comfortable with the idea though. Is it worth sacrificing your freedom just for a lantern? It also said it found you useless for labor. But you remind yourself you're not only trying to get a lantern here. You can figure out gaining freedom later; now, you have to convince the "king" of your usefulness. Considering its disposition up until now, you figure stroking its ego is usually a good start. At the same time, you don't think you want to come off as too sycophantic. The creature seemed impressed by your willingness to approach it, and it would be to be too much of a tonal shift for you to suddenly go all servile on it.
So, you settle for bowing formally as you start. "Most exalted lord", you began, piquing the beast's interest with a quirked eyebrow. "Thank you very much for agreeing to trade. I realize I don't have much to offer, so in exchange for humbly requesting a lantern, I instead offer something less tangible. My... direct service".
The beast hummed as it replied. "An interesting proposal. But do recall your deficiency in labor. How exactly are you to bring noble-worthy service?"
"I shall clarify, milord", you resumed. "While I am indeed physically weak currently, you yourself said there was a difference in me from others among my kind. A potential. It is this potential I offer, in direct service for you to guide and benefit from as thanks for your gracious hospitality". Rising up to a straight standing position again, you look into its eyes as you conclude. "Would this be to your liking?"
At first, the Nemean said nothing, though you could see the metaphorical wheels in his head begin to turn. Rising once more to its feet, the beast paced somewhat, looking at the ground as it slowly circled you once more, deep in contemplation. It was only after a minute's passing that it deigned to speak again.
"I must admit, monkey, your words are quite tempting. Not often has a being of your stature so willingly acknowledged royalty. Most I have crossed paths with dared defiance; walked the coward's path and fled, or even arrogantly sought my flesh and blood. Your divergence from those equally squalid paths demonstrates your unique character. Yet..."
Here, he returns his gaze to your person. "Would you dare assume yourself the first to catch the eye of one such as I? There are other humans, other children, who stand as your equal, whelp. Others who a stronger, smarter, more worth my time. And my time is precious to me. So tell me, if I must spend even seconds on an inferior, a stranger, what makes you the best candidate? What separates this lamb from the herd?"
This throws you somewhat through a loop, but fortunately, after a brief pause, a pretty good response comes to mind.
"With due respect, if you speak the truth", you reply slowly, "then you must receive this opportunity rarely, if you've ever had it before. If most would rather run or fight, then who else is as willing to serve you as me? I am a blank slate, unsullied and fresh, easier than any for you to mold into something worthy of your presence. I also don't require great maintenance; you can leave me to grow and learn as you go about more worthy business, then return to find me so much better than before. And even if I should fail to meet your expectations..."
You pause, swallowing down a lump in your throat before concluding your explanation. "Then I suppose you are perfectly capable of casting me aside or killing me for wasting your time. In short, I dare say you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain from my service".
Finished with your proposal, you wait quietly as the Nemean comes to a stop directly in front of you. Looking eye to eye once again, you watch as he leans forward to measure you more closely. Silence reigns for what feels like ages as the stare-down stretches on, his human face mere inches from yours...
1d100 = 57
At last, the beast returns to its previously upright position and smirks, siting down and raising its shoulders up and down in the apparent motion of a shrug (an odd thing to observe). "A fair argument, I suppose. There are a few matters I can recall men being superior to Nemeans in, as few as they are and loathe as I am to admit it", the creature snorts. "Very well. Be grateful, worm, for I have deemed you worthy of entering my service, for however long your short, pitiful life should last. But first, the oath, as tradition dictates. What name did thine birth earn?"
It takes you a few seconds to realize it's asking what your name is. Sheepishly, you rub the back of your head as you stutter out an answer. "Um, I...I'm afraid I don't...Don't have one, milord".
At this, it raises both brows. "Really now? You were born to such poverty that even a name was beyond you? Yet you still believe yourself worthy above all else?" At his question you flinch and look away. It would be disastrous if simply lacking a name ended up screwing you over.
As you worry, though, the Nemean then gives you a toothy grin. "My, my, you are a curious thing. I look forward to observing how you grow from this point on. Since you do not have a name", it continues, now scratching its chin in contemplation, "then it falls to me to bestow a title. But what reference would one of your stature deserve?"
It doesn't take long for the self-proclaimed king to come up with something, however. Clapping it's hands together, it speaks confidently. "Ah, yes, that would work suitably. From this moment onward, the title of 'Tick' will be yours. For you are but an insect thriving on my existence".
You have to suppress a growl at the unflattering nickname, but don't get to complain before it plops its meaty head upon your head. "Kneel, Tick, and sweat your allegiance to me".
Complying, you steadily sink to your knees and speak, the words strangely pouring from your mouth as though they had been memorized. "From this day to my last, I do swear my life to the pride of the Nemean King. All that His Excellence asks of me shall be done with neither pause nor inadequacy. I am humbled that a lesser being such as I could be chosen, and will work to ensure a day of the World Pride comes".
The trance ends as the hand is retracted, and the beast rises again from its seat. "Splendid. I myself promise this retainer shall not now nor ever go to waste or be neglected. Now that our current business is concluded", it declared as you heard the notable clunking noise of a lantern hitting the ground, "you will now receive thine first task. A test, to ensure my trust was not misplaced".
As it continues to speak, you are lifted once more into the air by its chinned appendage, only this time you are more securely held directly underneath your arms. At the same time, the Nemean tears into the ground, careful to carve as triangular a shape as possible in the earth. You are held so you can see both the shape and the direction the top-most point directs towards.
"In this direction", it informs you "lies one of many settlements in which you are to collect tribute from the populace. But remember this tribute is not in wealth, no; it is in resources, in hides and bone and oh so succulent meats. Of each these three things, you are to bring before me 10 pounds worth. I care not how this is achieved, only that my will be done. Additionally, I expect notable improvement in your being by the time we next meet. Arrival is simple; you will follow the arrow I have generously chosen to mark for your benefit. Never turn or stray from the straight path forward, and you should come to your destination within an hour, barring rest or interruption. You will know you have arrived when you eyes lie upon it".
With that, you are dropped once again, though at least this time you land on your feet. The beast begins to walk away, shooting you a parting glance as it does so. "You have seven cycles, Tick. Remember that disappointing me is unwise".
As it enters the darkness, you quickly shout after it. "Wait, My Lord, how will I find you again?"
Stopping, but not turning to face you, your "King"'s reply is simple. "Fear not Tick, for it is I who will find you. Why do you think I deemed you worthy of touch?"
With that, the Nemean at last disappeared into the darkness, leaving you alone once more. Thinking on it's parting words, you quickly realize what it meant by them and shudder, revolted that you got the monster's stench on you. Oh well, at least you got what you want without going full on sycophant and breaking out what flowery language you knew. You don't think you could live with yourself after stooping to that level.
Glancing around the relatively small area explored, you quickly spot the lantern dropped and quickly pick it up. It was somewhat shoddily made, but it seemed sturdy enough to resist most mundane impacts. Opening its lid, you peek inside to examine its innards. It appears that there's four slots for candles, with only one of them occupied by a hand-crafted wax candle. Combined with your own candle, the object should suit you well enough.
Walking over, picking up and placing your own candle inside, the glow sure enough doubled in strength, and a noticeably larger area was lit up. Now, there was pretty much no reason to stick around this place anymore. Since your anxiety thankfully dissipated, you definitely don't want to push your luck any further than you have to just by being here, and you would be eternally pleased to never see this place again.
...Well, there was one last thing. You glance over at the boulder, it's creepy engraved face staring impassively off into the distance. As you considered it, you initially never wanted to see the thing again and leave it here, especially if its real owner comes back looking for it. But thinking on it, this could actually be useful. After all, it's a big, sturdy object that you're sure most things would struggle to get through, and rolling around in it would hide you from anything looking for humans to snack on. The problem of course being that while in it, you'd have no idea where you're going. Not to mention the possibility of getting stuck or antagonizing someone unintentionally.
Alternatively, you could just roll it with you. Maybe even sell it to whoever's interested. You don't know a lot about the world, but you're sure there's at least one weirdo out there who'd want this thing if you didn't. But rolling it outside would be a bigger pain than rolling inside, as you can still feel the various aches all over your body; at least inside you could stop and rest in relative safety.
Sighing, you eventually come to an uneasy decision.
[ ] Take the boulder with you. It'll be a pain to roll it, but might come in handy in the future.
[ ] You'll climb back inside and roll the boulder. The protection is definitely worth the effort.
[ ] Forget the boulder. You don't need it anyway.
That final matter settled, you at long last gather what courage you have and depart into the deep, blinding darkness, with only the glow of your new lantern to guide the way. Your journey home begins.
----------------------------------------------------
AN: Sorry about the wait, got caught up with some stuff IRL. The character page is also going to be updated soon, to accommodate for recent events.
To think all this became possible because you failed multiple courage rolls; well, at least you see now that failing rolls isn't always a bad thing. As always, let me know what you think so far.
To think all this became possible because you failed multiple courage rolls; well, at least you see now that failing rolls isn't always a bad thing. As always, let me know what you think so far.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
Though we still have no idea why failed Courage rolls lead to this and what we would have should we have passed more of them. As such, I can't determine whether what happened to us was good or bad, since it's unknown what a desired outcome even looks like (well, obviously we have to get back home, but I don't think it was in the cards).
[x] Take the boulder with you. It'll be a pain to roll it, but might come in handy in the future.
It's only an hour long walk to the village, and we can probably think of something to do with it once we get there. Take it.
I would not roll with it because then we wouldn't be able to follow directions of the King, who told us not to stray or turn from the path. Getting even more lost is probably the last thing we need.
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PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
I plan on posting a Chapter Results page once the chapter is through, but basically the first few courage rolls were to see if you were able to keep it together long enough to decide what to do with the boulder and leave. The thing is the Nemean King was always going to be lurking in the Darkness, but if the Nameless kid didn't panic like she did, she would have left and been unaware of its presence.
And it's kind of the point that you don't know whether or not something is good or bad until it's too late. You can try and predict how certain choices play out based on the situation and by noting certain symbolism (the Nemean King, for example, was very prideful and catty lion-like creature, so you had to be careful not to offend it), but at the end of the day you're at the mercy of RNG and have to make choices that seem reasonable at the time.
- Location
- Cagayan de Oro City, The Philippines
[X] Take the boulder with you. It'll be a pain to roll it, but might come in handy in the future.
Travel Phase 1
PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
The Nameless Child rolls the boulder...
You search the Darkness ahead...
So, we have some lucky and interesting rolls. For future reference, the number of possible events can increase or decrease depending on the length and destination of the journey, though a roll of 1 will always result in no events occurring. Normally travel just has recon and events, but the boulder required an additional roll.
As for events, they pretty much run the whole spectrum. Some are good, some are bad, but most are mixed bags. However, every event has good and bad outcomes which depend on both your choices and rolls.
Stay tuned for the Event next update: Feast Trees
Edit: Accidentally typed down some wrong numbers. The results are the same, just making some minor changes.
1d100 - 10 (Sore) - 10 (Heavy object) = -2
Gain Injury - 1d6 = 6
Gain Minor Impairment: Charley Horse (Child) (Temporary -20 to speed and leg-based actions such as running)
Add one to Event roll
Gain Minor Impairment: Charley Horse (Child) (Temporary -20 to speed and leg-based actions such as running)
Add one to Event roll
You search the Darkness ahead...
1d100 = 83
The path is clear and straightforward. (Exceptionally Reliable)
Add one Discovery Event.
The path is clear and straightforward. (Exceptionally Reliable)
Add one Discovery Event.
1d3 + 1 (Failed Roll) = 2
1 event occurs
Event: 1d100 = 47
Discovery: 1d100 = 44
1 event occurs
Event: 1d100 = 47
Discovery: 1d100 = 44
So, we have some lucky and interesting rolls. For future reference, the number of possible events can increase or decrease depending on the length and destination of the journey, though a roll of 1 will always result in no events occurring. Normally travel just has recon and events, but the boulder required an additional roll.
As for events, they pretty much run the whole spectrum. Some are good, some are bad, but most are mixed bags. However, every event has good and bad outcomes which depend on both your choices and rolls.
Stay tuned for the Event next update: Feast Trees
Edit: Accidentally typed down some wrong numbers. The results are the same, just making some minor changes.
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Chapter 1-5a: Fruit of Enlightenment
PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
You are seriously regretting taking this stupid thing with you.
Pushing on it from the outside was definitely more difficult than from inside. Every push exasperated the aches on your poor, sore body, and you had to stop several times on your journey just to catch a breath and recover. All the same, you refused to let it go now that you've already gone to the trouble of bringing it with you. SO in spite of the pain, you persevered and pushedI as much as you could on the thing, praying it wouldn't be much longer before you reached your destination. If you could just keep it up for a bit longer...
"Ah!" You cry out sharply as a tightening, stinging pain grips one of your feet. Your right foot had been extended pretty far during one particular struggle with the boulder, and cramped right up. Your back leans against the boulder as you slowly slide to your bottom, hissing in agony and blinking away tears as you hold your foot. Eventually, you end up lying on your back as you try to stretch out the offending muscle, desperate for some sort of relief.
During your struggle against your own foot, you happen to notice something unusual. There's these strange-looking, wooden things sprouting out of the ground, not too far away. They all have different things hanging from the top of the foliage, each of the toppings unique. You don't have a good look from here, but it looks like... food?
Hearing your stomach growl, appropriately enough, you have to admit you're feeling pretty hungry. Not starving by any means, but it must have been some time since you last ate. What was your last meal actually? You remember home, sitting at a table, a pot of something hot and spicy before you. Stew, you think. Just you and-
Ugh, the cramp combined with the headache make remembering more impossible. Desperate for something to take your mind off the anguish, you decide to sate your curiosity and check out those trees. Looking to the boulder, you note where you are in relation to the boulder and what direction you've been heading. As you traveled, you made sure to keep the side with the face always facing your right, and now it was looking directly at the things. Perfect; you'll just search for the creepy face when you'e done, and push it on the same place as before. You should be right on track with the Nemean's instructions.
You suck in one deep breath, then another, before rolling onto your hands and knees, finally forcing yourself to your feet. Grimacing as your foot protested, you hobble as best you can over to the strange objects. Fortunately, even with your impairment, it doesn't take too long to get there. Only a minute or two of exasperated waddling pass before you find yourself right before them.
Up close, the scene is much stranger than you initially thought. There are six sprouts - you decide to call them that, for lack of anything else to call them - in total, and they seem to be arranged in a circular formation. Each looks extremely distinct from the other, both the sprout's body and the food it bears. But what they all have in common is just that: food. Meat, bread, eggs, fish, greens, and sweets hang separately upon each of these sprouts. All with distinct aromas, now that you're paying attention, and you wet your lips in not so very subtle desire and anticipation.
Before you get too ahead of yourself, though, you note that in the center of this "circle" the sprouts form is a singular pillar. A relatively thick, hexagonal tube towers up into the sky, seeming without end. At the base of the towers, however, you notice icons and carvings etched onto each face of the pillar. Examining them, you contemplate what its connection is to the sprouts...
Frowning, you just can't seem to figure it out. Each of the symbols is radically different from the other, with no recurring theme or pattern visible.
You suppose each of the faces has one thing in common; at the very bottom of each face is a sculpture of... well, a face. Human ones. On each of these six faces is an expression of utmost revulsion and despair, and rather disturbingly, their mouths all lack jaws. Out of each of these jaw-less mouths seems to pour dark liquid, forming a small, circular stain in the ground on the pillar.
This has to be important, and you strain your mind trying to figure it out. But ultimately, you just can't make heads or tails of why this was all arranged the way it was.
So you put aside the matter of the pillar for now, and consider what to do from here. You went to the trouble of checking this place out, and you don't want to walk away with nothing. But at the same time, this seems suspicious to you; on top of how strange these things look, it's kind of convenient that food would just so happen to be available here, for anyone to take. Then again, you've definitely had a rough day so far, so it could be just your adrenaline and paranoia talking.
Nobody else seems to be around after a quick scan of the area, so you take a moment to relax, tend to your painful cramp, and contemplate your choices here...
[ ] The Meat Sprout: adorned with sausage, beef, and cuts of venison. Its side of the pillar depicts a fist, tightened and stretching upward.
[ ] The Fish Sprout: adorned with salmon, trout, and even squid, just to name a few. Its side of the pillar depicts wind, a breeze blowing away debris.
[ ] The Sweets Sprout: aligned with chewy, sugary treats of all kinds. Its side of the pillar depicts a smile stretching vertically from one end to the other.
[ ] The Bread Sprout: adorned with wheat loaves, and strange yellow tube-like things. Its side of the pillar depicts what looks like a circle with scribbles all over it.
[ ] The Greens Sprout: aligned with corn, carrots, and peas to name just a few. Its side of the pillar depicts a brain, surrounded by all manner of things.
[ ] The Eggs Sprout: aligned with eggs of all shapes and sizes. Its side of the pillar depicts some sort of predator, strangely enough.
[ ] None. You're not taking any chances.
If you choose to eat from any of the sprouts, Please indicate the order in which you eat from each tree.
AN: Since this is your first event, I'm willing to provide a QM's Recommendation for this specific occasion. But only if there is a majority demand for it. Ideally, I don't want to dictate your decisions and want you to choose according to what you feel is best. Hopefully, the clues aren't too hard to figure out on your own.
Pushing on it from the outside was definitely more difficult than from inside. Every push exasperated the aches on your poor, sore body, and you had to stop several times on your journey just to catch a breath and recover. All the same, you refused to let it go now that you've already gone to the trouble of bringing it with you. SO in spite of the pain, you persevered and pushedI as much as you could on the thing, praying it wouldn't be much longer before you reached your destination. If you could just keep it up for a bit longer...
"Ah!" You cry out sharply as a tightening, stinging pain grips one of your feet. Your right foot had been extended pretty far during one particular struggle with the boulder, and cramped right up. Your back leans against the boulder as you slowly slide to your bottom, hissing in agony and blinking away tears as you hold your foot. Eventually, you end up lying on your back as you try to stretch out the offending muscle, desperate for some sort of relief.
During your struggle against your own foot, you happen to notice something unusual. There's these strange-looking, wooden things sprouting out of the ground, not too far away. They all have different things hanging from the top of the foliage, each of the toppings unique. You don't have a good look from here, but it looks like... food?
Hearing your stomach growl, appropriately enough, you have to admit you're feeling pretty hungry. Not starving by any means, but it must have been some time since you last ate. What was your last meal actually? You remember home, sitting at a table, a pot of something hot and spicy before you. Stew, you think. Just you and-
Ugh, the cramp combined with the headache make remembering more impossible. Desperate for something to take your mind off the anguish, you decide to sate your curiosity and check out those trees. Looking to the boulder, you note where you are in relation to the boulder and what direction you've been heading. As you traveled, you made sure to keep the side with the face always facing your right, and now it was looking directly at the things. Perfect; you'll just search for the creepy face when you'e done, and push it on the same place as before. You should be right on track with the Nemean's instructions.
You suck in one deep breath, then another, before rolling onto your hands and knees, finally forcing yourself to your feet. Grimacing as your foot protested, you hobble as best you can over to the strange objects. Fortunately, even with your impairment, it doesn't take too long to get there. Only a minute or two of exasperated waddling pass before you find yourself right before them.
Up close, the scene is much stranger than you initially thought. There are six sprouts - you decide to call them that, for lack of anything else to call them - in total, and they seem to be arranged in a circular formation. Each looks extremely distinct from the other, both the sprout's body and the food it bears. But what they all have in common is just that: food. Meat, bread, eggs, fish, greens, and sweets hang separately upon each of these sprouts. All with distinct aromas, now that you're paying attention, and you wet your lips in not so very subtle desire and anticipation.
Before you get too ahead of yourself, though, you note that in the center of this "circle" the sprouts form is a singular pillar. A relatively thick, hexagonal tube towers up into the sky, seeming without end. At the base of the towers, however, you notice icons and carvings etched onto each face of the pillar. Examining them, you contemplate what its connection is to the sprouts...
1d100+10 = 48. Required: 80
Frowning, you just can't seem to figure it out. Each of the symbols is radically different from the other, with no recurring theme or pattern visible.
You suppose each of the faces has one thing in common; at the very bottom of each face is a sculpture of... well, a face. Human ones. On each of these six faces is an expression of utmost revulsion and despair, and rather disturbingly, their mouths all lack jaws. Out of each of these jaw-less mouths seems to pour dark liquid, forming a small, circular stain in the ground on the pillar.
This has to be important, and you strain your mind trying to figure it out. But ultimately, you just can't make heads or tails of why this was all arranged the way it was.
So you put aside the matter of the pillar for now, and consider what to do from here. You went to the trouble of checking this place out, and you don't want to walk away with nothing. But at the same time, this seems suspicious to you; on top of how strange these things look, it's kind of convenient that food would just so happen to be available here, for anyone to take. Then again, you've definitely had a rough day so far, so it could be just your adrenaline and paranoia talking.
Nobody else seems to be around after a quick scan of the area, so you take a moment to relax, tend to your painful cramp, and contemplate your choices here...
...
Do you eat from any of these trees? If you do, please choose as many as you desire from the following:
[ ] The Meat Sprout: adorned with sausage, beef, and cuts of venison. Its side of the pillar depicts a fist, tightened and stretching upward.
[ ] The Fish Sprout: adorned with salmon, trout, and even squid, just to name a few. Its side of the pillar depicts wind, a breeze blowing away debris.
[ ] The Sweets Sprout: aligned with chewy, sugary treats of all kinds. Its side of the pillar depicts a smile stretching vertically from one end to the other.
[ ] The Bread Sprout: adorned with wheat loaves, and strange yellow tube-like things. Its side of the pillar depicts what looks like a circle with scribbles all over it.
[ ] The Greens Sprout: aligned with corn, carrots, and peas to name just a few. Its side of the pillar depicts a brain, surrounded by all manner of things.
[ ] The Eggs Sprout: aligned with eggs of all shapes and sizes. Its side of the pillar depicts some sort of predator, strangely enough.
[ ] None. You're not taking any chances.
If you choose to eat from any of the sprouts, Please indicate the order in which you eat from each tree.
AN: Since this is your first event, I'm willing to provide a QM's Recommendation for this specific occasion. But only if there is a majority demand for it. Ideally, I don't want to dictate your decisions and want you to choose according to what you feel is best. Hopefully, the clues aren't too hard to figure out on your own.
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
Things took a turn to weird. Weirder. Didn't think I'd say something like that after meeting Kitty-King.
Eh, no pain, no gain!
[x] Breakfast of Champions
-[x] The Bread Sprout: adorned with wheat loaves, and strange yellow tube-like things. Its side of the pillar depicts what looks like a circle with scribbles all over it.
-[x] The Eggs Sprout: aligned with eggs of all shapes and sizes. Its side of the pillar depicts some sort of predator, strangely enough.
-[x] The Meat Sprout: adorned with sausage, beef, and cuts of venison. Its side of the pillar depicts a fist, tightened and stretching upward.
Order is as listed.
Not a single idea of where to even start.
Eh, no pain, no gain!
-[x] The Bread Sprout: adorned with wheat loaves, and strange yellow tube-like things. Its side of the pillar depicts what looks like a circle with scribbles all over it.
-[x] The Eggs Sprout: aligned with eggs of all shapes and sizes. Its side of the pillar depicts some sort of predator, strangely enough.
-[x] The Meat Sprout: adorned with sausage, beef, and cuts of venison. Its side of the pillar depicts a fist, tightened and stretching upward.
Order is as listed.
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PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
You could always ask. I won't spell it out for you, but I'll lead you in the right direction.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Ask... what?
I mean, I am all for puzzles, but this is something that I don't know the principle of, don't know how it is supposed to work.
The only thread I can pull to start unraveling this - that might or might not be a red herring - is the Bread sprout. It depicts an abstract concept, a circle. Does it resemble anything? Maybe it depicts this very place? Do scribbles look like anything?
Is there supposed to be some kind of connection between an icon correspoinding to a sprout, and what is offered on another one (i.e. does an icon on one sprout points to what we should eat next)? Or are pictograms the only things that determine the order?
What are we supposed to be searching for?
I mean, I am all for puzzles, but this is something that I don't know the principle of, don't know how it is supposed to work.
The only thread I can pull to start unraveling this - that might or might not be a red herring - is the Bread sprout. It depicts an abstract concept, a circle. Does it resemble anything? Maybe it depicts this very place? Do scribbles look like anything?
Is there supposed to be some kind of connection between an icon correspoinding to a sprout, and what is offered on another one (i.e. does an icon on one sprout points to what we should eat next)? Or are pictograms the only things that determine the order?
What are we supposed to be searching for?
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PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
The child personally doesn't get it, and I don't really have a good picture to show, but if you were to see it, you'd understand it's a picture of a planet. The scribbles are continents.
You're on the right track. The icons do have a connection with the tree they're facing. The clues I'm referring to have to do with the pillar; if you think abstractly, it shows you both what you have to gain from each tree and what you risk by eating from any of them (you won't die, but it'll suck).
Last edited:
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Well, obviously.
So far I've got the following:
[ ] The Meat Sprout: adorned with sausage, beef, and cuts of venison. Its side of the pillar depicts a fist, tightened and stretching upward.
- a trap threatening physical harm, or something promising physical growth? STR?
[ ] The Fish Sprout: adorned with salmon, trout, and even squid, just to name a few. Its side of the pillar depicts wind, a breeze blowing away debris.
- SPD?
[ ] The Sweets Sprout: aligned with chewy, sugary treats of all kinds. Its side of the pillar depicts a smile stretching vertically from one end to the other.
- CHA? Or the smile isn't really a smile, but then what?
[ ] The Bread Sprout: adorned with wheat loaves, and strange yellow tube-like things. Its side of the pillar depicts what looks like a circle with scribbles all over it.
- ??? No, really. It didn't become easier by pointing out that it depicts Earth or whatever planet we are on.
[ ] The Greens Sprout: aligned with corn, carrots, and peas to name just a few. Its side of the pillar depicts a brain, surrounded by all manner of things.
- INT?
[ ] The Eggs Sprout: aligned with eggs of all shapes and sizes. Its side of the pillar depicts some sort of predator, strangely enough.
-??? The negative implications are kind of obvious, unless there is a trick.
I can get the expression 'animal cunning', so I can link the last one to CUN. That'd make the planet WIS? Why, what's the connection?
So I suppose there might be some kind of attribute test involved? Or am I missing something entirely?
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PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
You got it. Eat from a tree, and you make a roll. If the roll succeeds, you gain +1 to the relevant attribute.
The connection between the world and WIS is that you become more "worldly"; more understanding of the world around you and what's in it.
Hmm, I might need to work out a reward system to encourage questions and discussion. I'll get back to you on your reward.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
See, from 'specify the order' I got the impression that it's an ordering 'press up to six buttons to solve' puzzle, and it really messed up my reasoning until I took a step back and thought of the attributes. Even the thing that I thought would let me start tackling it turned out the one I figured out last. The puzzle is pretty simple, but only when you know what you are looking for.
In the end, specifying the order was not something connected to the puzzle, but rather 'choose your order of actions so that if you failed the roll I knew which one'.
[x] The Eggs Sprout: aligned with eggs of all shapes and sizes. Its side of the pillar depicts some sort of predator, strangely enough.
[x] The Greens Sprout: aligned with corn, carrots, and peas to name just a few. Its side of the pillar depicts a brain, surrounded by all manner of things.
Also,
I don't think this ever works.
I think the best reward would be an ability to ask for a hint about any given situation, given the amount of blind decision making that we are doing. Maybe clarifying some lore point or the like. Nothing facilitates discussion like giving something to discuss in the first place.
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PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
Thanks for the input. I know you're kind of stumbling around blindly, but I figured that was part of the fun of discovery.
If anyone would like to ask questions about lore and other things, I'm definitely happy to answer as best I can.
ConfusedPotato
Unverified Verifier
- Location
- Australia
[X] Eat all the things
-[X] All of the Sprouts
-[X] Eating Order
--[X] The Greens Sprout: aligned with corn, carrots, and peas to name just a few. Its side of the pillar depicts a brain, surrounded by all manner of things.
--[X] The Bread Sprout: adorned with wheat loaves, and strange yellow tube-like things. Its side of the pillar depicts what looks like a circle with scribbles all over it.
--[X] The Eggs Sprout: aligned with eggs of all shapes and sizes. Its side of the pillar depicts some sort of predator, strangely enough.
--[X] The Sweets Sprout: aligned with chewy, sugary treats of all kinds. Its side of the pillar depicts a smile stretching vertically from one end to the other.
--[X] The Meat Sprout: adorned with sausage, beef, and cuts of venison. Its side of the pillar depicts a fist, tightened and stretching upward.
--[X] The Fish Sprout: adorned with salmon, trout, and even squid, just to name a few. Its side of the pillar depicts wind, a breeze blowing away debris.
-[X] All of the Sprouts
-[X] Eating Order
--[X] The Greens Sprout: aligned with corn, carrots, and peas to name just a few. Its side of the pillar depicts a brain, surrounded by all manner of things.
--[X] The Bread Sprout: adorned with wheat loaves, and strange yellow tube-like things. Its side of the pillar depicts what looks like a circle with scribbles all over it.
--[X] The Eggs Sprout: aligned with eggs of all shapes and sizes. Its side of the pillar depicts some sort of predator, strangely enough.
--[X] The Sweets Sprout: aligned with chewy, sugary treats of all kinds. Its side of the pillar depicts a smile stretching vertically from one end to the other.
--[X] The Meat Sprout: adorned with sausage, beef, and cuts of venison. Its side of the pillar depicts a fist, tightened and stretching upward.
--[X] The Fish Sprout: adorned with salmon, trout, and even squid, just to name a few. Its side of the pillar depicts wind, a breeze blowing away debris.
PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
Spruced up the voting a bit, hopefully that makes the choices clearer and look nicer. If you've voted, please go back and cross out your old votes and then re-post them so that they don't get picked up by the tally program.
Speaking of which, I plan on closing the vote soon and I only have three votes for radically different things. There needs to be either discussion, additional votes, or changing votes before I close it later today. Otherwise, I'll be forced to choose for you.
You do not want me to choose for you.
Speaking of which, I plan on closing the vote soon and I only have three votes for radically different things. There needs to be either discussion, additional votes, or changing votes before I close it later today. Otherwise, I'll be forced to choose for you.
You do not want me to choose for you.
PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
...Ok, vote's closed. I honestly don't know why there was so little interest.
And yes I am aware we still have a three-way tie. However, since Nevill was both the most involved voter and the voter who figured out the connection between the icons and the trees, their vote will be the winning vote. So you will be eating from the Eggs and the Greens.
If you don't like it, tough. I gave people plenty of time to vote, and I want to move on already.
And yes I am aware we still have a three-way tie. However, since Nevill was both the most involved voter and the voter who figured out the connection between the icons and the trees, their vote will be the winning vote. So you will be eating from the Eggs and the Greens.
If you don't like it, tough. I gave people plenty of time to vote, and I want to move on already.
Chapter 1-5b: Fruit of Enlightenment (End)
PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
The various food's aromas wafted into your nostrils as you took in the scene before you. True, it was sort of odd to find these things so isolated and unguarded, and you didn't really understand the whole set up with the pillar. But since someone probably went to a lot of trouble to arrange it all so specifically, you can safely assume that there's something to be gained here. After all, there's no telling when you'd next have a chance at a good meal...
You figure there's no real harm in trying something inoffensive. In deciding which of the sprouts you would eat from, you end up ruling out the meat, bread, and fish trees; the first two might have spoiled, stale food, and the smell of the fish was a bit much for you to handle. The sweets were tempting, but you knew from experience how sick you could get from eating too much. Leaving aside the fact that sweets from the unfamiliar are untrustworthy.
That left the eggs and the greens, which you figured would be good enough for your purposes. You approach the former, and you can't really get over what a curious sight it is. It wasn't just that the eggs were all sorts of shapes and sizes; it was that they covered the entire thing, from base to tip, almost as if the entire sprout was actually just an egg-based construction. Tracing you fingers across them, you feel around, slightly wiggling them to see if one of them is loose enough to remove. Things that were ready to eat were easy to remove, you recall. That's how plants normally worked, right?
The egg you end up plucking is one of the normal, unassuming ones, something you imagine would be readily available at a marketplace. Examining it, you don't find any cracks, and so decide it must be safe enough to eat, and go to crack it against the nearest hard surface you can find: the ground. Cracking it is easy enough, but what throws you off is that when you hold it over your mouth, the shell doesn't pull apart like it normally does. In fact, you can't budge the shell apart at all. Investigating, you're surprised when you rub your thumb against the surface of the crack; a piece of the shell flakes off, and underneath is an equally white, but strangely softer covering.
Peeling the rest of the shell off, you pop the egg into your mouth and teeth this softer layer. Your teeth break through the mildly flavored outer part and eventually the sweet taste of the yolk hits your tongue. It's surprisingly difficult to chew, and keeps getting stuck in your gums, taking multiple laps with your tongue and even some assistance from your fingers to get it loose again. Eventually, you're confident enough to attempt swallowing it down, feeling the egg slide down your throat easily enough...
After you swallow it, you pause. In mere moments, the sweet taste had rapidly and unexpectedly turned rancid upon your tongue.
As a full minute passes, a rumbling in your gut announces further foulness with the egg. Your illness increases as both your stomach and head start to ache, and groaning, you absentmindedly sink to your knees. Finally, your discomfort finally peaks as you fail to stomach your snack and fall forward onto your hands, violently retching out your latest meal. You remember vomiting once or twice before, but this was unlike before. Quivering as you recollect yourself, your eyes widen as you take in your vomitus: black, odorous liquid pooled below you, and in its center was a round object the size of your fist.
Without warning, the object bursts and the black liquid sprays across your face. Through the muck, you see a winged, feathery creature struggle to its feet. Two beady, black eyes blink through the filth at you and, revealing an equally black beak, loudly caws in your direction.
The caw is answered by a menagerie of squawks coming from the direction of the egg sprout. Whirling around, you discover that, where once were but eggs, a flock of jet black birds perched on every inch. All with soulless eyes trained on you.
Before you can even react to this development, suddenly they are upon you, a cacophony of shrieks and flutters of wings ringing in your ears. Screaming in surprise and pain, you can only flail about at the avians swarming around you, pecking mercilessly at skin and cloth alike.
You know not how long the torment lasted, but when it was over, you found yourself curled up into a ball on the ground, your coat in tatters. Wincing at the many scratches you received, you slowly pick yourself up and look back at the sprout. To your further shock, the sprout is gone completely, leaving no evidence of its presence.
Gain impairment: Nauseous (temp -10 to all rolls)
Nameless Coat status changed: now Ruined (Defense set to 0)
Unnerved, you almost want to leave right now and save yourself any further trouble. You feel sick, miserable, and are no less hungry for your trouble. But you know this could be your last chance at a meal for some time, and decide it's unfair to judge the whole group of sprouts for the crimes of one. So before you decide anything, you sit down and rest for a bit, taking in shaky breaths as you come to terms with what happened. When you finally regain the nerve to stand again, you decide to try your luck again with something you guess would be less likely to be rotten. This train of thought brings your attention to the greens.
You don't think it should be, but the more you look upon this particular sprout, the more it looks like an unusual sight. Many a vegetable, such as cabbage, herbs, and broccoli line the thick stalk at the center. Hanging from the branches are what looks like thin pea pods, stretching almost to the ground and plentiful in number. Considering all the food you could sample, you decide these pea pods were probably your safest bet. Perhaps that was your mistake with the egg tree; after all, branches were where most edible fruits were supposed to blossom.
Carefully, you reach and take into your hand a pod that looks thicker and vibrantly greener than the rest, and split open one end with your thumb and index finger. Sure enough, there is a pea inside, and more cautiously than before, you pluck this single pea out and place it into your mouth. You taste it and begins to chew...
Your chewing, though not rapid, slows to a dead stop as the flavor begins to manifest upon your taste buds. The whole world stops.
Your eyes widen as the flavor takes up the entirety of your mind's eye. That juicy, hearty flavor of the pea courses through you, taking up the whole of your attention with rapturous pleasure. Quickly afterward, you find yourself entering a trance-like state, images beginning to manifest in your imagination; images of awe-inspiring construction, building that reach as far as the eye can perceive, libraries with shelf upon shelf stacked with thick, invaluable books, filled to the brim with knowledge on every page. You see warriors go from struggling to carry heavy equipment to pulling carts, creating tools to better their lives, cooking, sewing, welding, all manner of glorious works...
For a single rapturous moment, you understand.
In an instant, you find yourself leaping upon the sprout of green, ravenously and gluttonously consuming all that's in your reach. The sensations, the knowledge, it's all too good to resist! More and more of these sights and information, growing ever more advanced, take up the whole of your attention as you eat, eat, eat...
And then it's over, just as quickly as it began. All the images you envisioned vanish, as if you woke up from a dream. Blinking, you're suddenly aware that you've been rolling around on the ground, and your sores begin to act up again. There's also something squishy in your mouth, which you end up swallowing when you realize it's probably the food you've been eating. All that knowledge you were attaining seems to be gone along with the visions. And yet you still get a hazy recollection of what you gained, and you feel you walked away from that with more than you risked...
Intelligence increased by 1!
Nauseous impairment removed!
Pushing yourself off the ground, you look around. Fortunately, nobody showed up during your ecstasy and everything seems the same-
Oh wait, now the greens sprout is gone. Huh.
Ok, you still don't really understand what the deal with these things are, but they seem just as risky as rewarding to eat from. You don't feel like taking your chances with the remaining four sprouts, and decide to get back on task. Lantern in hand, you head back in the direction you remember coming from, and with only a little bit of searching, you manage to reunite with your big, creepy-faced rock. Quickly looking back, you confirm it's the same distance away from the sprouts as before you left.
Nodding in satisfaction, you realign yourself with the face to the right and resume your rolling. As you consider how much easier it seemed to walk just moments ago, you suddenly realize the charlie horse is gone! Well, that's one less pain in the butt to worry about.
Charlie Horse (child) impairment removed!
Humming a tune to yourself, you wonder what else lies in wait ahead...
AN: Ugh, not entirely satisfied with this part, but at least it's done now.
Stay tuned for the next event: David and Goliath
You figure there's no real harm in trying something inoffensive. In deciding which of the sprouts you would eat from, you end up ruling out the meat, bread, and fish trees; the first two might have spoiled, stale food, and the smell of the fish was a bit much for you to handle. The sweets were tempting, but you knew from experience how sick you could get from eating too much. Leaving aside the fact that sweets from the unfamiliar are untrustworthy.
That left the eggs and the greens, which you figured would be good enough for your purposes. You approach the former, and you can't really get over what a curious sight it is. It wasn't just that the eggs were all sorts of shapes and sizes; it was that they covered the entire thing, from base to tip, almost as if the entire sprout was actually just an egg-based construction. Tracing you fingers across them, you feel around, slightly wiggling them to see if one of them is loose enough to remove. Things that were ready to eat were easy to remove, you recall. That's how plants normally worked, right?
The egg you end up plucking is one of the normal, unassuming ones, something you imagine would be readily available at a marketplace. Examining it, you don't find any cracks, and so decide it must be safe enough to eat, and go to crack it against the nearest hard surface you can find: the ground. Cracking it is easy enough, but what throws you off is that when you hold it over your mouth, the shell doesn't pull apart like it normally does. In fact, you can't budge the shell apart at all. Investigating, you're surprised when you rub your thumb against the surface of the crack; a piece of the shell flakes off, and underneath is an equally white, but strangely softer covering.
Peeling the rest of the shell off, you pop the egg into your mouth and teeth this softer layer. Your teeth break through the mildly flavored outer part and eventually the sweet taste of the yolk hits your tongue. It's surprisingly difficult to chew, and keeps getting stuck in your gums, taking multiple laps with your tongue and even some assistance from your fingers to get it loose again. Eventually, you're confident enough to attempt swallowing it down, feeling the egg slide down your throat easily enough...
1d10 = 3
After you swallow it, you pause. In mere moments, the sweet taste had rapidly and unexpectedly turned rancid upon your tongue.
As a full minute passes, a rumbling in your gut announces further foulness with the egg. Your illness increases as both your stomach and head start to ache, and groaning, you absentmindedly sink to your knees. Finally, your discomfort finally peaks as you fail to stomach your snack and fall forward onto your hands, violently retching out your latest meal. You remember vomiting once or twice before, but this was unlike before. Quivering as you recollect yourself, your eyes widen as you take in your vomitus: black, odorous liquid pooled below you, and in its center was a round object the size of your fist.
Without warning, the object bursts and the black liquid sprays across your face. Through the muck, you see a winged, feathery creature struggle to its feet. Two beady, black eyes blink through the filth at you and, revealing an equally black beak, loudly caws in your direction.
The caw is answered by a menagerie of squawks coming from the direction of the egg sprout. Whirling around, you discover that, where once were but eggs, a flock of jet black birds perched on every inch. All with soulless eyes trained on you.
Before you can even react to this development, suddenly they are upon you, a cacophony of shrieks and flutters of wings ringing in your ears. Screaming in surprise and pain, you can only flail about at the avians swarming around you, pecking mercilessly at skin and cloth alike.
You know not how long the torment lasted, but when it was over, you found yourself curled up into a ball on the ground, your coat in tatters. Wincing at the many scratches you received, you slowly pick yourself up and look back at the sprout. To your further shock, the sprout is gone completely, leaving no evidence of its presence.
Gain impairment: Nauseous (temp -10 to all rolls)
Nameless Coat status changed: now Ruined (Defense set to 0)
Unnerved, you almost want to leave right now and save yourself any further trouble. You feel sick, miserable, and are no less hungry for your trouble. But you know this could be your last chance at a meal for some time, and decide it's unfair to judge the whole group of sprouts for the crimes of one. So before you decide anything, you sit down and rest for a bit, taking in shaky breaths as you come to terms with what happened. When you finally regain the nerve to stand again, you decide to try your luck again with something you guess would be less likely to be rotten. This train of thought brings your attention to the greens.
You don't think it should be, but the more you look upon this particular sprout, the more it looks like an unusual sight. Many a vegetable, such as cabbage, herbs, and broccoli line the thick stalk at the center. Hanging from the branches are what looks like thin pea pods, stretching almost to the ground and plentiful in number. Considering all the food you could sample, you decide these pea pods were probably your safest bet. Perhaps that was your mistake with the egg tree; after all, branches were where most edible fruits were supposed to blossom.
Carefully, you reach and take into your hand a pod that looks thicker and vibrantly greener than the rest, and split open one end with your thumb and index finger. Sure enough, there is a pea inside, and more cautiously than before, you pluck this single pea out and place it into your mouth. You taste it and begins to chew...
1d10 = 10
Your chewing, though not rapid, slows to a dead stop as the flavor begins to manifest upon your taste buds. The whole world stops.
Your eyes widen as the flavor takes up the entirety of your mind's eye. That juicy, hearty flavor of the pea courses through you, taking up the whole of your attention with rapturous pleasure. Quickly afterward, you find yourself entering a trance-like state, images beginning to manifest in your imagination; images of awe-inspiring construction, building that reach as far as the eye can perceive, libraries with shelf upon shelf stacked with thick, invaluable books, filled to the brim with knowledge on every page. You see warriors go from struggling to carry heavy equipment to pulling carts, creating tools to better their lives, cooking, sewing, welding, all manner of glorious works...
For a single rapturous moment, you understand.
In an instant, you find yourself leaping upon the sprout of green, ravenously and gluttonously consuming all that's in your reach. The sensations, the knowledge, it's all too good to resist! More and more of these sights and information, growing ever more advanced, take up the whole of your attention as you eat, eat, eat...
And then it's over, just as quickly as it began. All the images you envisioned vanish, as if you woke up from a dream. Blinking, you're suddenly aware that you've been rolling around on the ground, and your sores begin to act up again. There's also something squishy in your mouth, which you end up swallowing when you realize it's probably the food you've been eating. All that knowledge you were attaining seems to be gone along with the visions. And yet you still get a hazy recollection of what you gained, and you feel you walked away from that with more than you risked...
Intelligence increased by 1!
Nauseous impairment removed!
Pushing yourself off the ground, you look around. Fortunately, nobody showed up during your ecstasy and everything seems the same-
Oh wait, now the greens sprout is gone. Huh.
Ok, you still don't really understand what the deal with these things are, but they seem just as risky as rewarding to eat from. You don't feel like taking your chances with the remaining four sprouts, and decide to get back on task. Lantern in hand, you head back in the direction you remember coming from, and with only a little bit of searching, you manage to reunite with your big, creepy-faced rock. Quickly looking back, you confirm it's the same distance away from the sprouts as before you left.
Nodding in satisfaction, you realign yourself with the face to the right and resume your rolling. As you consider how much easier it seemed to walk just moments ago, you suddenly realize the charlie horse is gone! Well, that's one less pain in the butt to worry about.
Charlie Horse (child) impairment removed!
Humming a tune to yourself, you wonder what else lies in wait ahead...
AN: Ugh, not entirely satisfied with this part, but at least it's done now.
Stay tuned for the next event: David and Goliath
Last edited:
PranksterOliwar
Pranks Not Included
- Location
- Houston
Shit, has it really almost been a month?
Yeah, it's time to get back on track. I have been working on the next update (updates, actually), and wanna do just a bit more editing before I post. I plan on releasing it tomorrow, but I promise it'll come no later than the day after.
So just a head's up, this quest's still going, and those who care keep an eye out. The quest starts back up again soon.
Yeah, it's time to get back on track. I have been working on the next update (updates, actually), and wanna do just a bit more editing before I post. I plan on releasing it tomorrow, but I promise it'll come no later than the day after.
So just a head's up, this quest's still going, and those who care keep an eye out. The quest starts back up again soon.